For Shirley Bosch, a shelter monitor at the Salvation Army's Center of Hope, the wintery weather changed her schedule a bit.
The shelter part-timer usually works evening shifts, midnight to 8 a.m. On Thursday, she was called to work the day shift.
"It's been really quiet," Bosch said. "We didn't have as many people at lunch as we usually do."
She said the low lunchtime turnout was probably because of the weather.
As of 3 p.m. Thursday, the shelter had 24 occupants - 16 men and eight women.
Bosch expected more people to come in throughout the evening.
"I think we're doing all right, though," she said.
While the Center of Hope offered people a warm environment and a tasty meal, the American Red Cross Heart of Missouri chapter staff and volunteers were on hand to assist where needed due to the weather.
The chapter had volunteers on call Thursday across the 21-county service area.
Phillip Iman, the chapter's disaster specialist, said only one volunteer had been sent out Thursday afternoon. He was sent to the State Emergency Operations Center at the State Emergency Management Agency on Militia Drive.
"He's helping relay information back and forth between counties," Iman said.
He said the chapter is monitoring the situation and will continue to do so.
The Red Cross hasn't had to set up any emergency shelters across the state, and Iman said the agency doesn't anticipate a need.
Chapter staff and volunteers will continue to be on stand-by in case their help is needed.
"We're just encouraging people to be personally prepared for disasters like this and to have enough food and water in the home for seven days," Iman said.
For the safety of patients and staff, all of Capital Region Medical Center's outpatient clinics closed at noon Thursday. The Sam B. Cook Healthplex closed at 2 p.m., and all fitness classes were cancelled.
Amy Berendzen, director of marketing and public relations at CRMC, said the hospital was and still is operating as usual.
"All patient care is
covered, and the staff is prepared to stay all night if needed," Berendzen said Thursday afternoon.
Many of St. Mary's Health Center's clinics that didn't close before opening Thursday did close by mid-day, including St. Mary's Urgent Care Clinic in Jefferson City and St. Mary's Plaza Pharmacy.
Jefferson City Medical Group clinics and pharmacy closed at noon Thursday. Staff will reschedule all cancelled appointments. The medical group's Outpatient Surgery Center didn't close, keeping all appointments.
The Jefferson City Area YMCA ceased operations at noon Thursday. (See the closings and announcements list, linked below, for today's YMCA schedule.)
Missouri River Regional Library closed Thursday at 10 a.m. due to the weather conditions and was to reopen at 9 a.m. today.
Additional:
Weather-related school closings, announcements for Friday, Feb. 22, 2013
Area forecast, radar and advisories
Jefferson City snow route conditions