As the snow continues to fall, here’s what’s ahead for your evening commute
Heavy mixed precipitation has caused icy roads and slow traffic in the St. Louis area, posing additional hazards for the evening commute.
A winter storm warning that was issued early Sunday will continue into Monday evening, with the heaviest snowfall coming in the afternoon. According to the National Weather Service, a last bout of snow and freezing rain should come before 1 a.m. and bring another 1 to 2 inches of snow accumulation.
The weather service predicted that as the snow storm moves east, evening commuters in the St. Louis area will have to deal with snow, sleet and freezing rain during rush hour, particularly in the Interstate 44 and 64 corridor.
The Illinois Department of Transportation has had snow plows out continuously since Sunday morning, it said.
According to the St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency, snow plows were prioritizing primary roadways, interstates and highways and secondary streets were being held.
Multiple roads in the area had been closed, including northbound Interstate 55 at I-70 in south St. Louis and eastbound Illinois 161 at Illinois 159 in Swansea, both of which were open by 4 p.m.
Interstate 64 in St. Clair County and 70 in Madison County were completely covered with snow or ice at 4 p.m.
MetroLink said in a release that the system is operating on schedule with a few routes experiencing delays over 15 minutes. The No. 41 Lee and the No. 1 Main St. to State St. stops were operating on a snow route on Monday afternoon. The release said significant delays on the MetroBus are possible. MetroBus customers are advised to allow extra time for their commutes and avoid travel if possible.
Several agencies have advised residents to avoid traveling at all. St. Clair County Sheriff’s Capt. Bruce Fleshren said there were reports throughout the area of vehicles stuck in the roadways or that slid off the roadway into a ditch.
“The roads are very bad and slick,” he said. “There is still a lot of traffic, which makes plowing difficult. If you do not have to be on the roadway, please stay at home, there is no need to be out in this weather today.”
The Swansea Police Department posted a similar message on Facebook, asking people to think smart about the moves they make in the winter weather.
This story was originally published December 16, 2019 at 2:29 PM.
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