Missouri Travel Conditions at Midday [Missouri Ice/Snow Storm]

Ozarks First.com ^ | Friday, January 29, 2010 | Staff

[Star Traveler]

Missouri Travel Conditions at Midday

 

Friday, Jan 29, 2010 @11:27am CST

(Springfield, MO) -- Winter weather is forcing road crews to the highways today.  The snow didn't really start falling in earnest until shortly before daybreak today.  However, hours of snowfall are resulting in covered roads at midday around southwest Missouri.

KOLR10's Kevin Schwaller as this 11:00 am update:   

Out here, you can see the light coat of snow.  The Missouri Highway Patrol Troop D says it has had only a few reports of minor slide-offs so far.  Still, snow is making roads slick in some areas.     This weather brings a new challenge for Rafael Guerrero. He started hauling over-the-road loads more than 20 years ago.  He usually stays south, so for him, this weather is intimidating.  "I get scared when it's like this,"

Other truckers prepared for the slick roads before the snowfall picked up.  "We treat our fuel, make sure the diesel doesn't gel up," says trucker Kendall Moore.

The Missouri Department of Transportation says you can expect the weather to result in roads covered with a thin layer of snow throughout the day.  And while the Highway Patrol reports only a few minor accidents, slick conditions did send a few drivers to the side of the road, and even over embankments in a case or two. 

And as the snow piles up, many drivers hope the storm has more mercy on southwest Missouri than it has in places like Arkansas and Oklahoma.  "I'm just glad I'm not one of them," said truck driver Stephen Davis. MoDOT says you can expect heavier snow south of Springfield as you head toward the Missouri-Arkansas line.

Check Missouri road conditions at: 
http://maps.modot.mo.gov/travelerinformation/TravelerInformation.aspx

Check Arkansas road conditions at:  
http://www.arkansashighways.com/Road/mapopt.htm

The latest report from MoDOT, just before 11:00 am:

Weather: Light to moderate snow continues over southwest Missouri.

• Heavier snow fall amounts are being reported in the Lampe/Branson/Gainesville areas of southern Missouri. Blowing snow also is occurring in the Branson/Tri-Lakes area causing reduced visibility and road-clearing challenges.

• Lighter snow amounts are being reported in the Springfield/Bolivar/Buffalo/Lebanon areas.

Road Conditions: I-44 in the Springfield/Marshfield/Lebanon areas is currently partly covered. All other state roadways are mostly covered to covered including U.S. 60, U.S. 65 and Missouri Route 13. Blowing snow will continue to be challenges for MoDOT road crews, especially in extreme southern Missouri.

Road Clearing Update for 10 a.m., Fri., Jan. 29:

• MoDOT crews are focusing continuous attention on major roads, including I-44, U.S. 60, U.S. 65, U.S. 160 and Missouri Route 13. While the driving lanes of these roadways may appear clear in some areas, interchange ramps will remain snow-covered.

• MoDOT trucks are plowing lesser traveled routes. However, some of these roads may be plowed only once or twice during a 12-hour period. Material used on two-lane rural roads will include a mixture of salt and small rock to help provide traction, particularly on hills and curves.

• State roads will NOT be completely cleared until after the storm passes through the region which could be late Friday night or early Saturday morning. Major roads may be cleared within several hours after the storm moves out. It may take several days before the lesser traveled roads are cleared.

[Star Traveler]

Well, this is the storm that came from the West, and from Oklahoma and is traveling across the South, hitting several states.

This is a thread for this state of Missouri and any Missouri FReeper to give weather updates and conditions for your location in Missouri. Keep each other posted and up-to-date.

[Star Traveler]

Keep others in Missouri updated... I'm not in the state, but just starting the thread for Missouri... for this big storm...

Some FReeper articles on the current Oklahoma Ice Storm, which is what is moving over to the East, through Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, southern Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina...

Ice Storm Likely Across Oklahoma

Less Than 24 Hours Until Winter Storm Arrives In NE Oklahoma

Henry declares state of emergency in anticipation of storm [Oklahoma Governor]

Winter Storm Update [Tulsa, Oklahoma]

Tulsa activates Emergency Operations Center as winter storm intensifies [Oklahoma]

Many power lines remain down as Oklahoma deals with winter threats [OK Ice Storm]

Governor declares state of emergency in Arkansas as winter storm moves into the state

[OrangeHoof]

It seems these types of storms hit the same area every year or two with ice and snow, causing power lines and tree limbs to fall. I’d suggest anyone who lives in the area buy a generator with an extra can of gas on hand to deal with these type of storms and power outages.

[Star Traveler]

You were saying ...

It seems these types of storms hit the same area every year or two with ice and snow, causing power lines and tree limbs to fall. I’d suggest anyone who lives in the area buy a generator with an extra can of gas on hand to deal with these type of storms and power outages.

I don't know about y'all in Missouri, but from what I'm hearing in Oklahoma (and I'm in Tulsa), it seems that people here are saying that winters have been getting worse the last few years (maybe up to a decade now).

And just in the time I've been here, that does seem true to me, from all the experiences I've been hearing from others.

Is it getting worse in Missouri, these past few years?

[Star Traveler]

Okay, for all you Missouri FReepers, you can keep each other up-to-date for the weather conditions around the state of Missouri and post what you’ve got going on in your corner of the state... :-)

[Montanabound]

I’m about 80 miles west of you in central OK and don’t plan to leave the house until Monday. I’ve been here 20 years, and indeed, the last few have been harsher.

[Star Traveler]

Add some of your information to the Oklahoma threads and keep us up-to-date... :-)

The snow in Tulsa seems to have let up and we may have six to eight inches... can’t tell exactly and will check later on...

[Star Traveler]

Snow covers roads south and north of Springfield, MO

By KY3 News
Story Published: Jan 29, 2010 at 5:17 AM CST
Story Updated: Jan 29, 2010 at 10:23 AM CST

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Snow is still falling across southwest Missouri and north Arkansas. The MoDOT road condition map shows the major roads south of Springfield and in the West Plains area are covered.

Be on the lookout for slick roads from Bolivar through Lake of the Ozarks and over to Lebanon and Fort Leonard Wood.

Major roads in north Arkansas are also covered. A dispatcher with the Boone County Sheriff's Department says it started snowing around 10:00 Thursday night. Crews have been out throughout the night trying to clear off the roads.

In Arkansas, the state transportation department reports Arkansas 7 north and south of Harrison as well as U.S. 65 south of Harrison are snow covered. Arkansas 412 in the Mountain Home area is snow covered. Major roads in the Fayetteville area are ice covered.

Here's a news release from MoDOT headquarters in Joplin with the latest on road conditions:

• I-44 from the OK state line to Sarcoxie is partly covered; Sarcoxie to Springfield is clear.
  
  
• U.S. 71 from Joplin to the Arkansas state line is covered; from Joplin north to Butler; Bates County, the route is partly covered.
  
  
• U.S. 54 from the Kansas state line to approximately Collins, Cedar county line, is partly covered.
  
  
• Missouri 13, south of Lowry City, from the Henry County line to the Polk County line, is partly covered.
  
  
• U.S. 60 from the Oklahoma State line to just east of Aurora is covered.
  
  
• Missouri 37, south of Monett is covered.

All other major routes are partly covered to covered. Crews are actively working clearing roadways.

Additional information is available by calling 888-ASK-MODOT (888-275-6636).

[Ben Hecks]

Are you two related?

Thank you for the post, ST.

Fortunately, the cold front arrived in Springfield before the moisture pushed up from the south. As a result, we did not have the sleet/freezing rain that had initially been in the forecast. We’ve had light snow throughout the day with about three inches accumulation. Glad we didn’t have ice - the ice storm of 2007 was enough for me.

[Star Traveler]

Nope, not related... :-)

That’s good for y’all in Missouri. That was a bad one, here in Oklahoma, that December 2007 ice storm. It left almost one million Oklahomans without power.