Southeast Missouri braces for ice in winter storm

Southern Missouri is entering a winter storm warning from noon today until 6 p.m. Thursday.

Lead forecaster Chris Noles of National Weather Service Paducah reported the first precipitation will start in Butler County at noon and may reach Interstate 55 by 3-4 p.m.

Temperatures today are a few degrees colder than expected, and will get colder.

“The humidity is not all that high right now,” Noles explained. “So once the precipitation starts falling, the temperature will fall two or three degrees once the rain starts.”

The system will drop ice and sleet on the Ozark region as well as Arkansas and Southern Illinois, and parts of Tennessee and Kentucky. The total for Southeast Missouri is expected to be between 0.25-0.5 inches of ice and less than half an inch of sleet.

Today’s ice accumulation will likely be 0.1 inches during the daylight hours, along with less than half an inch of sleet. At night, residents can expect a mix of freezing rain and sleet, transitioning to freezing rain after 3 a.m. Thursday morning. This will drop another 0.1 to 0.2 inches of ice.

On Thursday, Southeast Missouri will reach a few degrees above freezing in the morning but more freezing rain could accumulate with another 0.1-0.3 inches of ice.

At night, NWS predicts a wintry mix of rain and freezing rain, possibly transitioning to snow and sleet after 3 a.m. Friday morning, followed by a slight chance of snow after 4 a.m.

Power outages are very possible, especially in the Bootheel region.

“I am concerned especially in New Madrid, Mississippi, Stoddard, maybe southern Scott and then across the river into far western Kentucky,” said Noles. “The farther you go toward the Missouri Bootheel, the more concerned I am about power outages.”

Road conditions will also be dicey since the early rain and freezing rain can wash away treatments. Elevated areas will be more prone to freezing.

“I am a little more concerned than I was as far as roads becoming icy in spots, especially out in the Ozark foothills where you got a little bit higher terrain,” cautioned Noles.

Friday’s highs will be in the high 30s and low 40s.

More information and current weather conditions are available at weather.gov.