Meteorologists say St. Louis-area residents should take precautions this weekend as the National Weather Service and state officials prepare for a winter storm that could cause difficult driving conditions.
The National Weather Service predicts winter precipitation between late Saturday and early Monday across the St. Louis area. The region could see a mix of freezing rain, sleet and snow.
The area remains in the transition zone, meaning it could see a combination of winter conditions, though the exact details are still unknown, National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Kimble said.
“This all depends on your location,” Kimble said. “The further north you are, the more likely you are to see snow. The further south you are, the more likely you are to see some freezing rain.”
Kimble said the forecast could change but the storm has the potential to match the February 2022 winter storm in which the region saw between 6 and 10 inches of snow over the course of several days. He said people should stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary.
State organizations have already started preparing for the potential storm. Missouri Department of Transportation officials have met with NWS, Highway Patrol and State Emergency Management Agency leaders. If people have to leave their homes, they should stick to main roads, MoDOT State Maintenance Director Darin Hamelink said.
“There may be some instances where some roads have to be closed, we'll just kind of have to see how that plays out,” Hamelink said. “We hope not, but we're kind of, you know, planning for the worst and preparing accordingly.”
Ice storms could lead to power outages, something Hamelink is concerned about. He said people should have a backup plan in case of an outage. If people have to drive, they should take precautions by having emergency kits in their car and make sure they’re at least several hundred feet behind a snow plow.
Bob Becker, District Maintenance Engineer for the St. Louis District, said the department plans to be fully staffed by 7 p.m. Saturday.
“Our plan is to get a treatment down as this storm starts happening, to try to prevent that from freezing on the roadway,” Becker said during a press conference Friday.
Becker said another concern for the Department is the amount of ice Missouri could experience.
“If we get a large amount of ice, and trees start collecting ice, and there's heavy winds, a lot of stuff will come down, power lines will come down,” Becker said.
He said if people could limit their travel during the storm, that would be appreciated.
Joseph Monroe with the Illinois Department of Transportation said this event will affect the entire region.
“This is probably not something we've seen in more than a handful of years. The little event that we had after Thanksgiving was just a taste,” Monroe said.
In anticipation of the storm, Monroe said roads have been pre-treated from “everything from essentially Columbia, Illinois, north.”
“We took the stance that the forecast hadn't really changed drastically other than the amounts in the last 36 hours. So, the way we've been tracking it, we felt it was best for our situation,” Monroe said.
Unlike Illinois, Becker said MODOT did not pre-treat the roads because they were expecting more rain before the storm hit.
“We were expecting more rain initially, and we usually treat ahead of a storm with the liquid. And when you do a liquid, add more liquid to it, you're going to dissolve it, you're going to have a problem with it,” Becker said.
St. Louis officials are preparing for the storm by getting plows on the road and setting up shelter from the elements.
There will be 50 trucks working in 12-hour shifts to clear snow from main roads and highways first and then they will turn to smaller side streets.
Officials warned residents to stay indoors and off roads and sidewalks to avoid injuries. They also encouraged residents to monitor any space heaters and fireplaces to prevent house fires.
St. Louis City Fire Department officials also encouraged residents to avoid parking their cars near fire hydrants to prevent any delays in case of an emergency. They also asked the public’s help to clear snow off hydrants so they are visible to first responders.
Adam Pearson, director of human services, said there are more than 800 beds available at shelters and pop up shelters for the over 1200 homeless residents in the city.
He noted the number of residents without stable housing is likely an undercount, so they are also setting up warming centers at five local senior centers and 13 public libraries.
Where to find the city warming centers:
Senior Centers:
- City Seniors Inc.
- Five Star Center
- Northside Youth and Senior Service Center
- Robert Fulton Development Inc.
- Urban League Patch
St. Louis Public Library branches:
- Central
- Baden
- Barr
- Buder
- Cabanne
- Carondelet
- Carpenter
- Divoli
- Julia Davis
- Kingshighway
- Machacek
- Schalfly
- Walnut Park
The storm system is expected to end Monday with temperatures below freezing for most of next week.
This story has been updated.
