http://ozarkspub.vo.llnwd.net/o37/KSMU/audio/mp3/winterstor_4044.mp3
Several schools are closed today in the Ozarks, including Springfield Public Schools and Missouri State University as winter weather continues to impact the Ozarks. KSMU's Michele Skalicky has more.
People in the Ozarks are waking up to a combination of sleet, freezing rain and some snow on the ground. Kelsey Angle is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Office in Springfield.
"The first round of winter precipitation started yesterday afternoon and continued during the evening and the overnight hours. With that, we did see some freezing rain and some sleet with even a little bit of light snow in the Springfield area. Officially, here at the airport, we've had one inch of sleet accumulation."And the winter weather isn’t over. Parts of SW MO, including Springfield, are under a winter storm warning until 6 pm and areas in MO to the south of Springfield are under a winter storm warning until midnight. North Central Arkansas is under an ice storm warning until 6 tomorrow morning.Angle says more freezing precipitation is expected today.
"The second round of winter precipitation is starting to make its way through Southwest Missouri this morning. A winter storm warning remains in effect until 6 o'clock this evening. We do expect additional accumulation of some freezing rain and some sleet in and around the Springfield area. We do look for total freezing rain accumulation will range from a glazeto one-third of an inch with storm totals--sleet and snow accumulation--of one toperhaps two inches in the Springfield area."
Needless to say, if you have to be out on the roads today, be careful.
"Roads remain slick and hazardous this morning, ice packed in several locations, and temperatures are expected to remain below freezing over the next couple of days, so we're not going to see any melting anytime soon, and with additional precipitation occurring this morning and this afternoon, that will bring additional accumulation and additional travel problems across the region."
The winter precipitation is expected to move out of Missouri overnight, but it’s going to be cold—lows tonight will be in the teens.