City, County and State crews continue to work this morning to clear the roads for the morning rush. While most major school districts in the St. Louis area have already canceled class for today, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay says he's confident most major arteries will be clear. Slay says it's the back roads that may still be dangerous. "The residential streets will be a problem for some time, it will depend on the weather and the temperature in particular."
Much of the reported trouble spots this morning are on the exit and entrance ramps to highways as well as spots on north and southbound I-270 past I-64 where cars remain stranded on the roadway. For complete road conditions and closings and cancellations visit KTRS.com.
llinois road crews have been working hard overnight to clear the roads as well, and IDOT engineer Joseph Monroe explains why it's been difficult for crews to keep up. Monroe says, "Normally in a snow event without any blowing or drifting you figure the first inch of snow takes two hours to clean up and then each inch takes an additional hour. That's just a rule of thumb. If you see it get way out of line, you go looking for problems."
Nearly 6 inches of sleet and snow fell around the St. Louis area Thursday. Stranded vehicles made clearing the roads even more difficult.
THE STORM SYSTEM
Our major snow storm that shuttered airports here in Missouri, stranded truckers in Illinois and buried parts of Kansas in knee-deep powder is moving northeast with the likelihood of more punishing snow, ice and wind.
Gusts up to 30 mph are expected to churn-up snow that fell overnight in southern Wisconsin, where forecasters were warning Milwaukee-area residents of slick roads and reduced visibility. The same was expected in northeast Iowa.
