More snow, possibly freezing rain, forecast for Monday. Here’s what you need to know.
More snow is forecast for Monday as the winter storm warning continues across the metro-east and St. Louis.
The National Weather Service issued the winter storm warning Sunday for the region, including St. Clair, Madison, Bond, Clinton, Macoupin, Monroe and Washington counties.
Though the snowfall had stopped by 4:30 p.m. Sunday, another round of mixed precipitation, including more snow and freezing rain, was expected Monday.
By 2 p.m. Sunday, 1.5 to 2 inches of snow blanketed Belleville and several surrounding cities. At the border of St. Clair and Madison counties, the snowfall was closer to 3 inches, said National Weather Service meteorologist Gary Schmocker. Down by Randolph County, that number was closer to 1 inch.
Schmocker said St. Clair County residents should expect at least another inch of snow by Monday night.
The warning is an upgrade from the winter storm watch that was issued Saturday. The two are different in that a watch is issued when the risk of hazardous weather is increased, but the exact location or timing is still uncertain, while a warning means heavy snow of 6 inches in 12 hours or 8 inches in 24 hours is imminent.
In the metro-east, a total snow accumulation of 4 to 7 inches was possible through Monday night, as well as ice accumulation of up to one tenth of an inch.
Snowfall rates could exceed 1 inch per hour at times, and temperatures remaining in the upper 20s on Sunday would aid in the rapid accumulation of snow, especially on untreated roads, bridges and overpasses, the National Weather Service said.
“Travel could be very difficult,” the warning states. “The hazardous conditions could impact the Monday morning or evening commutes.”
The St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency reported several vehicle accidents Sunday afternoon, including a four-car crash with injuries in East St. Louis and a three-car accident in Fairview Heights.
The National Weather Service advised people to make sure their vehicles are winterized and to have emergency supplies, such as food and medicine, on hand in case the storm makes travel impossible.
In St. Louis, snow accumulation for Sunday was expected to total 2 to 4 inches, with new accumulation of less than one inch possible Monday.
By 4 p.m., the Illinois Department of Transportation’s winter conditions map showed roads in St. Clair, Monroe and Macoupin counties were totally covered by snow or ice, and that Interstate 255 in St. Clair and Madison counties was mostly covered by ice and snow.
On the Missouri side of the river, I-64 and I-70 were completely covered. Multiple vehicle accidents on I-70 in St. Charles County, Missouri, forced police to close down the interstate there for multiple hours.
A list of school closings for Monday can be found at KSDK.com.
This story was originally published December 15, 2019 at 10:58 AM.
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