St. Louis, MO (KTRS) The St. Louis area is bracing for possible first winter storm of the season.
The National Weather Service is calling for rain, freezing rain,possibly mixed with sleet on Sunday. The NWS said this could result in icy conditions on roadways with possibly up to a 1/10 of ice accumulation.
“This precipitation is forecasted to move into the area mainly as freezing rain. Though air temperatures are expected to rise above freezing by Sunday evening, the ground and roads are frozen thanks to two weeks of subfreezing temperatures. This could lead to additional icing on area roadways and cause traffic impacts” said NWS Science and Operations Officer Jim Sieveking.
The Missouri Department of Transportation is preparing for the winter weather. MoDOT crews are planning to be fully staffed with more than 200 plow trucks ready to go from 7 a.m. Sunday into Monday afternoon.
“This is our first winter storm of the season that will require us to have 24-hour full staffing throughout the event. We will work diligently throughout the snow storm until the roads are completely clear,” said Assistant District Engineer Mark Croarkin.
MODOT is encouraging motorists to pay close attention to weather conditions and avoid driving during freezing rain. Even treated roads that have salt will likely be icy as freezing rain hits the surface. For information on road conditions across the state, safe traveling tips, and other winter weather information, please visit www.modot.org.
Meanwhile, shelters have been set up throughout the region to protect those in need, especially the homeless. Anyone in need of a shelter should call the United Way at 2-1-1. Those who see a homeless person on the street in need of a shelter should call their local law enforcement agency.
The public is also urged to take precaution for their pets. Anyone who sees an animal in distress should call their local law enforcement agency or the Humane Society’s Animal Cruelty Task Force at 314-647-4400.
