Treacherous weather threatens central Missouri with a nasty mix of freezing rain and snow

by Missourian staff

A treacherous mix of freezing rain and snow continues to be forecast for much of the state this weekend, including weather patterns that threaten travel and power outages in central Missouri.

"Stay home," warned Matt Beitscher, a lead meteorologist with the National Weather Service in St. Louis.

The severe weather is expected to begin Saturday evening and continue throughout the day Sunday with a mix of freezing rain and snow.

North of I-70, the weather is expected to be predominantly snow, Beitscher said. As the storm moves farther south along the I-70 corridor, it will be a wintry mix of sleet and snow, transitioning into more snow later in the weekend.

Beitscher expected a snow accumulation of 6 to 10 inches in the Columbia area by the time the storm passes through.

Closer to Jefferson City, the weather pattern will likely be freezing rain with snow at the back end, he said.

But don’t focus on the number of inches of snow, Beitscher said.

"The main takeaway is to stay home," he said. “Your travel is going to be treacherous and is strongly discouraged.”

Ice is likely to cause power outages and tree damage, according to an urgent winter storm advisory from the National Weather Service.

Travel could be nearly impossible. and the hazardous conditions could impact the Monday morning commute.

The cold that arrives with the storm is also expected to keep temperatures below freezing until next weekend.

Temperatures could be 12 to 25 degrees F colder than normal, according to the National Weather Service.

“This could lead to the coldest January for the U.S. since 2011," AccuWeather Director of Forecast Operations Dan DePodwin told the Associated Press on Friday. “It’s not just one day of this. It’s going to be three to five, in some cases a week or more of temperatures that are well below historical average.”

Updated information

Here are weather-related updates from around the state and Columbia.

• Stay indoors or locate a warming center if heat is not available. Columbia’s warming centers include: The ARC (Activity and Recreation Center), 1701 W. Ash St.; City Hall, 701 E. Broadway; Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services, 1005 W. Worley St.; Columbia Public Library, 100 W. Broadway; Salvation Army, 1108 W. Ash St.; and the Salvation Army Harbor House, 602 N. Ann St.

• Go COMO bus service will operate normally Saturday with a decision expected Sunday about public transit routes for Monday. Riders can stay updated by visiting CoMo.gov and clicking the Winter Storm Information banner or by signing up for Go COMO Transit text alerts at Alerts.CoMo.gov.

• Trash and recycling collection routes are expected to continue Monday as scheduled. Placement of rollcarts should follow the procedure cited in these guidelines: CoMo.gov/city-source/december-2024/roll-cart-placement-winter-weather.

• Avoid any unnecessary travel. The Missouri Department of Transportation’s travel map with more information can be found at Traveler.MoDOT.org.

• Across the state, MoDOT has approximately 1,500 snow trucks operating with crews working 12-hour shifts from before the snow starts until roads are in a mostly clear condition after the snow ends. Missouri road conditions are available 24/7 on the Traveler Information Map at www.modot.org on desktop and mobile devices. Drivers can also find road conditions by following MoDOT on Facebook and X or by calling 888-ASK-MODOT (888-275-6636) to speak with a customer service representative.

• The Columbia Public Works staff is developing a response plan. Pretreatment operations are already in progress, John Ogan reported in a news release. Once snowplows begin working residential neighborhoods, updates can be found on CoMoSnow.com to access a snow route priority map. It will show real-time updates of plowed areas, refreshing every 15 minutes.

• Residents will receive an alert when snow accumulations reach 2 inches and parking is no longer allowed on priority routes. To receive an alert, go to Alert.CoMo.gov and choose text, email or automated phone call.

• Central Missouri Humane Society is urgently seeking foster families to provide temporary homes for adoptable pets this weekend. The shelter provides all necessary supplies, including food, bedding, and medical care. Foster parents to pick up animals before 6 p.m. Saturday. For more information, go to cmhspets.org/foster or call (573) 443-7387.