News Tribune

The National Weather Service (NWS) predicts a dangerous blizzard, with freezing drizzle overnight turning into heavy snow on Tuesday, will hit much of Missouri.

From the NWS:

...CRIPPLING WINTER STORM EXPECTED TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY...

.A MIX OF FREEZING RAIN...SLEET AND SNOW WILL BE FOUND OVER MOST OF MISSOURI AND ILLINOIS THROUGH THIS EVENING. THE PRECIPITATION WILL BEGIN TO TRANSITION TO SLEET AND SNOW ACROSS NORTHEAST MISSOURI AND WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS EARLY THIS EVENING...AND THEN THIS CHANGE WILL EXPAND SOUTHEAST THROUGH MUCH OF THE REST OF THE BI- STATE REGION LATER TONIGHT AND TUESDAY AS COLDER AIR SETTLES IN.

THE GREATEST SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL LIKELY OCCUR ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST MISSOURI AND WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...WHERE AMOUNTS BETWEEN 12 TO 21 INCHES INCHES WILL BE LIKELY. ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF ONE HALF INCH TO ONE INCH ARE LIKELY FOR AREAS SOUTH AND EAST OF SAINT LOUIS...IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS.

THE SNOW WILL END BY WEDNESDAY MORNING BUT WINDS WILL INCREASE BEGINNING TUESDAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY AS THE STORM SYSTEM DEEPENS. BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AS WELL AS AN INCREASED RISK OF DAMAGE AND POWER OUTAGES DUE TO THE ICE ACCUMULATION WILL LAST INTO WEDNESDAY.

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST TUESDAY.

A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TUESDAY TO NOON CST WEDNESDAY.

• TIMING...LIGHT FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING HOURS...ESPECIALLY FOR AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF A COLUMBIA MISSOURI TO WHITE HALL ILLINOIS LINE. THE PRECIPITATION WILL CHANGE OVER TO ALL SNOW BY LATE THIS EVENING AND PERSIST THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE SNOW WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. THE SNOW WILL END WEDNESDAY MORNING.
• ACCUMULATIONS...MINOR ADDITIONAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM 12 TO 21 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE.
• WINDS...WINDS WILL BECOME NORTHERLY AND INCREASE TO 25 TO 30 MPH WITH FREQUENT GUSTS TO 45 MPH BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
• IMPACTS...EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS ROAD CONDITIONS FROM THE HEAVY SNOW ACCUMULATION AND EXTENSIVE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW COULD LIMIT TRAVEL FOR DAYS. WHITE OUT CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED WHERE THE DEEPEST SNOW COVER IS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS OR FREQUENT GUSTS OF OVER 35 MPH ARE EXPECTED FOR SEVERAL HOURS WITH CONSIDERABLE FALLING AND/OR BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. VISIBILITIES WILL BECOME POOR...WITH WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AT TIMES...MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. THOSE VENTURING OUTDOORS MAY BECOME LOST OR DISORIENTED...SO PERSONS IN THE WARNING AREA ARE ADVISED TO STAY INDOORS.

Additional Weather Resources:

Weather-related announcements, closings for Tues., Feb. 1, 2011

Local Forecast, Current Conditions

Area Radar, Severe Weather Statements

Video Weather Report for Central Missouri

Missouri Highway Travel Map