Winter storm information and resources

St. Louis Public Radio | By Rachel Lippmann,

Published January 31, 2011 at 12:01 PM CST

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Trucks are once again rolling westbound on Highway 70 in Foristell, Mo. on Feb. 2, 2011. Highway 70 was closed due to heavy snow from Wentzville to Kansas City, Mo. on Feb. 1. (UPI/Bill Greenblatt)

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The statue of Baseball Hall of Fame member Lou Brock stands coated in ice outside of Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Feb. 1, 2011. (UPI/Bill Greenblatt)

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Jim Kramper from the National Weather Service explains the dangers of the expected blizzard expected to hit the St. Louis region on Jan. 31, 2011.(UPI/Bill Greenblatt)

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Traffic signals near the Stan Musial statue at Busch Stadium are encased in icicles as a freezing rain falls in St. Louis on Jan. 31, 2011. (UPI/Bill Greenblatt)

Dealing with the aftermath of this winter storm? We have information and resources to help.

Also, if you have some photos of your winter storm experience to share, post them here.

Follow other news and weather-related updates with us on Twitter: @stlpublicradio

We'll keep you updated with the latest information here as we know it.

Projections and Conditions:

The Missouri Department of Transportation has opened westbound Interstate 44 from Exit 11 in Joplin to the Oklahoma state line. Oklahoma has opened I-44, the Will Rogers Turnpike following an early morning accident. Authorities say a vehicle veered off the Interstate 44 bridge and into an icy river. (AP Report/MoDOT press release)
Interstate 70 is open again in Missouri. The interstate reopened shortly after 7 a.m. Feb. 2. The Missouri Department of Transportation shut it down Tuesday because of whiteout and slippery conditions caused by the winter storm. MoDOT said it was simply too dangerous to keep open.
The winter storm that dumped 20 inches of snow from Columbia, Mo. to Quincy, Ill. is leaving the area, making way for sub-zero temperatures.

How have area agencies responded?

The latest from the Missouri Department of Transportation:

"The Missouri State Highway Patrol and MoDOT want to emphasize to the public that many highways are still snow covered and that there are icy patches. Motorists should still not travel if it can be avoided." - Col. Ron Replogle, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Ameren said that they brought in 500 additional people to respond to weather-related issues.
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency and deployed Missouri National Guard troops to help with the storm. Nixon said the forecast of blizzard conditions makes this latest storm especially dangerous:

“You’re talking about 15, 16, 18, 20, 22 inches of snow in places, and the temperature staying low, especially as you get in some of the rural areas, isolated people could really be out there for a long time.” - Mo. Gov. Jay Nixon

If you must travel on the roads, here's a reminder from the Missouri Department of Transportation: If you come across a non-functioning traffic signal, remember to treat it as an all-way stop, unless otherwise directed by a uniformed law enforcement official.

Resources:

For emergencies/power outages:

In St. Louis City:

- Call 211, or 1-800-427-4626 from a cell phone, for cold weather emergencies.

- Call 911 for emergency police assistance, and 231-1212 for non-emergency police assistance.

In St. Louis County - Call 314-615-5000 for emergencies.
To report power outages to Ameren, call 1-800-552-7583 (and you can see current listings of power outages).
Need a warm place or know someone who does? Here's a list of warming shelters in Missouri and Southwest Illinois.

For the latest weather and transportation information:

See the latest forecasts for your area, in Missouri or Illinois
For road conditions, see the latest traffic reports from NAVTEQ, or MoDOT's Traveler Information Map
Check flight information at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport
Get travel information for MetroLink and MetroBus