A dose of wintry weather that deposited freezing sleet, rain and snow on Mid-Missouri's roadways created difficulties for unsuspecting drivers Friday evening.
Although the amounts were minimal - about a quarter-inch or less of sleet and less than a tenth of an inch of freezing rain - they posed a challenge for drivers. Numerous vehicles slid off U.S. 63 south of Columbia on Friday evening. Cole and Osage counties were not immun, either, as cars slid off the ice-covered roads or hit other vehicles in those areas as well.
"Last evening there was a mix of sleet and freezing rain that left a thin glaze on the roadway," Ben Miller, National Weather Service meteorologist, explained on Saturday. "Temperatures have been so low in recent days that when the liquid hit the road, it froze on contact.
"It wasn't a lot, but enough to be a nuisance."
Sgt. Paul Reinsch, a public information officer for the Missouri Highway Patrol, reported 17 injuries and one fatality occurred Friday evening through Saturday morning in Troop F's 13-county region.
"The problem is the ice. It happens very quickly," Reinsch said. "Of course, the light snow that fell makes it extra-slick."
Both Reinsch and Miller said the thin glaze that occurs when rain freezes on contact can be very deceptive for drivers, who might think the roads are only wet. Some people refer to the condition as "black ice."
Columbia received slightly more snow and sleet than Jefferson City on Friday evening.
By Saturday morning, crews with the Missouri Department of Transportation were still working to clear the streets. At 9 a.m. most of the area's major highways - U.S. 63 and 50 included - were still listed as covered and partly covered. By 11 a.m., those roadways were clear.
Britt Smith, Jefferson City's operations division director, said he called in the city's crews at 10 p.m. Friday evening when the roads started to freeze over.
"It was right as it was getting bad. ... we timed it about right," he said. "It froze very quickly."
The crews worked throughout the night, finishing their work Saturday morning. Cleaning off the city's concrete streets - which freeze over fast - was the biggest struggle, Smith said.
Smith said city crews pre-treated the streets with salt and continued to salt them throughout the night.
Although Columbia was hammered pretty heavily early in the evening, when thousands of drivers were still out on the roads, in Jefferson City, the roads weren't bad until later in the evening, Smith said.
"The timing was in our favor," he said.
Cole County Public Works Director Larry Benz said the state-operated highways passing through Cole County had some ice-related issues Friday night, but his crews were able to get to Cole County's routes quickly.
"We were able to get salt on them right away, as soon as the storm started," Benz said, estimating his workers started pre-treated streets around 6 p.m., as mist began to fall.
"We didn't have an equipment issues, and none of our drivers slipped off into the ditch," Benz said. "Overall it was an uneventful storm."
Weather-related accidents Friday included:
• A Freeburg man died after a one-vehicle crash in Osage County.
Patrol reports show it happened at 9:53 p.m. on U.S. 63 South, 1 1/2 miles south of U.S. 50.
Paul Luebbering, 46, lost control on the ice-covered road and went off the right side of the road. He struck an embankment and overturned.
Luebbering was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle.
• A five-vehicle accident in Cole County left two people with injuries.
Missouri Highway Patrol reports show the accident occurred at 7:08 p.m. on U.S. 50 West, just east of Lookout Trail.
Richard Samson, 65, Centertown, lost control of his vehicle on the ice-covered road, striking a parked vehicle on the shoulder with no driver around it.
A vehicle driven by Abbie Brewer, 27, California, lost control on the road and also hit the vehicle on the shoulder. Then another vehicle, driven by Edward Savage, 43, Jefferson City, hit another parked vehicle that was on the shoulder with no driver around it.
Brewer was treated for moderate injuries while her passenger, Jordan Hartley, 35, California, was treated for minor injuries.
Samson and Savage had no reported injuries.
All those involved were wearing seat belts.
• One person was hurt in a one -vehicle crash in Osage County.
Patrol reports show the accident occurred at 8:15 p.m. on Loose Creek Highway, 1 1/2 east of County Road 602.
Marvin Miller, 43, Loose Creek, lost control on the ice-covered road, went off the left side of the road and hit a highway sign and a tree before the vehicle ignited on fire.
A passenger, Fay Miller, 4, Loose Creek, was treated for moderate injuries. Marvin had no reported injuries.
Both individuals were wearing seat belts.