Current forecasts show it will be several days before Mid- Missouri temperatures rise above freezing.
National Weather Service meteorologist Kevin Deitsch said snow showers that began midday Monday were expected to push out early this morning and leave around a half-inch of snow along with some sleet and ice.
Another round of similar precipitation is forecast Wednesday morning, and most of Central Missouri could pick up about another half-inch.
"This weekend will see the coldest temperatures we've seen so far this winter," Deitsch said. "The coldest day will be Sunday, Valentine's Day. We could start the day off as cold as -8 degrees, and highs will only be in the single digits."
Local public works officials said glazing of road pavements along with bitterly cold temperatures means chemicals used to treat roads lose their effectiveness. Any thawing that occurs during daylight hours likely will refreeze overnight, causing patches of black ice and slippery road conditions, particularly on elevated surfaces like bridges and overpasses.
"Morning commutes over the next few days could be dicey at times, so we urge people to delay their travel if possible - and if they can't, just slow down and drive carefully," Jefferson City Public Works Director Matt Morasch said. "We'll do our best to treat and clear the roads, but we are at the mercy of the timing of these events; and with the below-freezing temperatures, that just makes the job more difficult."
Jefferson City crews began hitting the streets just after lunchtime Monday, Morasch said.
Crews also cleared sidewalks around city facilities and downtown sidewalks as they are contracted to do.
Often during the winter, the city has a smaller crew come in overnight to monitor conditions before the main crews come in around 4 a.m., Morasch said.
"Saturday, during the storm that left 1-3 inches of snow, we went through over 525 tons of salt; and that was because the below-freezing temperatures caused us to have to use more," he said.
Cole County Public Works Director Eric Landwehr said county crews, too, went through a lot of material during this past weekend's storm.
"We used about 215 tons of salt and 60 tons of a sand and salt mix which we use when we have the below freezing temperatures," Landwehr said. "We have ordered more salt and moved some salt to our Centertown maintenance shed. The drivers who have to work in the western part of the county can load up at that facility and not have to drive down to the main facility on Monticello Road. We carry about 500 tons in Centertown and around 4,500 at Monticello."
Like the city, Landwehr said, the county's main road crews come in around 4 a.m. during most winter storms, with a smaller night crew monitoring conditions.
Additional resources:
School closings and weather-related announcements for Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021
MoDOT statewide traveler information map
Jefferson City road conditions