Police Now Preparing For Evening Commute

UPDATED 11:00 a.m., Thursday-

schools have not cancelled class due to snow, but KMOV is reporting additional school closings (Check them here).

report a busy morning with numerous calls about drivers having issues on roads, but no major accidents.

Town and Country police responded to multiple accidents and major back-ups on Highway 40 near the Maryville Center and Mason Road exits. Police even closed that stretch of highway twice Thursday morning because cars simply could not get traction due to the snow and ice. 

"It was crazy," Town and Country Police Lieutenant Bob Arthur tells Patch. Arthur worked that stretch of highway all morning, as he and other officers and drivers pushed cars up the hills of the highway. He said the first time the highway shut down was around 6 a. m.

"At (Highway) forty at Mason, both directions were shut down. It was just a sheet of ice before we got trucks moving and the state responding. Then again around 9:30 or so for about 45 minutes to an hour. That time it was forty westbound between Maryville and the ramps to exit onto (Highway) 141. It was the same thing, just a sheet of ice," Arthur recalled. "It took a while for state trucks to get there." 

Arthur said he thinks it was the sudden temperature drop that caused the morning's problems and doesn't believe there was much that could have been done to combat the problems.

"It was just such an instantaneous temperature drop. Instead of taking a couple hours, the bottom just dropped," Arthur said.

He said calls and accidents have leveled off Thursday afternoon, but he is concerned about the evening commute.

"The streets have been treated, but I would anticipate that we may have a repeat of this morning once the sun goes down. Maybe not as severe, but from what I understand, the temperatures are supposed to plummet tonight," Arthur tells Patch. "I'm sure the state is prepared for that."

In Manchester, police report only minor traffic problems Thursday morning, particularly on Highway 141. They said they've had a couple calls about drivers having problems at the grade at Howard George Drive, but no major accidents.

Town and Country Department of Public Works Director Craig Wilde said city road crews were out at early this morning. He said snow started accumulating in Town and Country at about 3:15 a.m. and the winds picked up as forecasted. 

Wilde warns that the winds and cold temperatures predicted could make for patchy slick spots, even on treated roads. He said the initial snowfall melted on the pavement creating the potential for a thin layer of ice when combined with the wind.

Wilde expected all the routes to be covered once by the morning rush hour and then crews would continue to monitoring the situation. At 7:30 a.m. Wilde reported it appeared as if the major accumulation has slowed in Town and Country. He said crews would be working to clear snow and applying treatments to prevent refreeze.

Wilde also said Meridian Waste Services is putting Town &  Country customers on the "holiday" schedule. This means that pick-ups scheduled for Thursday will be made Friday and those scheduled for Friday will occur on Saturday, Wilde explained.

Manchester city crews have not responded with the city's plan for Thursday. 

PREVIOUSLY REPORTED:

According to local meteorologists, one to three inches of snow may fall across the St. Louis area by Thursday evening.

KSDK is reporting snowfall will begin overnight and by sunrise approximately an inch will have fallen. A winter weather advisory has also been issued for St. Louis County, by the National Weather Service.

KMOV reports that freezing temperatures are coming along with the snow. Temps around 20 degrees are reportedly expected Thursday, down from Wednesday's temperatures in the 50s. Gusting winds are expected to accompany the cold and snow, which KMOV reports will taper off around noon Thursday with flurries possible in the afternoon.

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