Be prepared for coming winter weather in Callaway County

FILE: The National Weather Services predicts a negligible amount of snow and ice accumulation this week. It should be nothing like the big snow of January 2019, but the Missouri Highway Patrol has safety suggestions for when winter weather arrives in earnest.
FILE: The National Weather Services predicts a negligible amount of snow and ice accumulation this week. It should be nothing like the big snow of January 2019, but the Missouri Highway Patrol has safety suggestions for when winter weather arrives in earnest.

The first small snowflakes of the season fell Tuesday morning in Callaway County.

Winter held off this year - 2019's first flakes arrived at the end of October. But the reprieve seems to be over. According to the National Weather Service, more winter weather is on the way soon. Morning rain transitioned into a dusting of snow as the temperature dropped Wednesday, and the NWS predicts wintry mix and freezing rain tonight.

Little snow or ice accumulation is expected, as highs each day are predicted to climb above freezing. But even a small amount of ice accumulation - such as rainfall followed by an overnight freeze - can cause dangerous road conditions, the Missouri Highway Patrol warns.

Fulton's road crews are standing by should the roads get slick.

"We have everything ready to go, we're locked and loaded, just waiting to see what this weather's going to bring us," said Gary Felkner, supervisor of Fulton's streets division. "(Thursday) night is probably the worst of it; we're supposed to get freezing rain and stuff. We've got spreaders on all the trucks,and the plows are on."

He said the city is fully stocked on salt with about 300 tons, purchased at around $80/ton.

Because tonight's potential freezing rain will be preceded by non-frozen rain, it doesn't make sense to pre-treat the roads, Felkner said - the salt would wash right off. Instead, the street division will rely on the Fulton Police Department to notify them if roads begin icing over.

Felkner said he's not worried about staffing road crews amid the ongoing pandemic.

"My crew's been pretty healthy this year," he said.

Members of the public can bring slick spots to his department's attention by calling the municipal power plant, which is staffed 24/7, at 573-592-3180.

Felkner urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel should conditions deteriorate.

"If roads are slick, everybody stay home where it's safe," he said.

Drive safe

For those that do choose to travel, the Highway Patrol offered a number of safety tips for winter travel.

Motorists should check road conditions before driving to help determine if the trip can be completed safely. Consulting Missouri's Road Condition Report (1-888-275-6636) or the frequently updated MoDOT's Road Condition Map at traveler.modot.org/map/ will provide the most current road condition information available.

Those that must travel should scrape their windows and windshields, use headlights to increase visibility and slow down.

During inclement weather, driving the speed limit is often too fast and not "exercising the highest degree of care," the Highway Patrol added in a recent news release. Missouri law states the responsibility of exercising the highest degree of care while driving rests on the driver's shoulders. Do not use cruise control and increase your following distance to account for slower brake response.

Allow extra driving time for you to reach your destination at a slow, safe speed.

A well-stocked car can make the difference between rescuing yourself or spending hours in the cold waiting for a tow truck. The Highway Patrol recommends keeping your fuel tank at least half-full and supplying your vehicle with an ice scraper, battery booster cables, blankets, extra coats, gloves, water, non-perishable food, first aid kit, flashlight, small shovel, and a bag of sand or cat litter in your trunk for traction.

Before you travel, make sure your cellphone is fully charged and keep it with you. Do not use your cellphone when you are driving; park your vehicle well off the roadway or in a parking lot before placing a call. The Missouri Highway Patrol emergency number is 1-800-525-5555 (or *55 on a cellular phone). These numbers ring at the nearest troop headquarters.

Within the county, drivers who get in an accident may call 911 to reach the local dispatchers.

In case of a crash, the Highway Patrol recommends staying in your vehicle with your seat belt fastened. During inclement weather, multiple vehicles often crash or slide off the roadway at the same location and may strike people who exit their vehicles.

When remaining in your vehicle, place it in park and turn off the engine. Carbon monoxide poisoning is a possibility if the exhaust system was damaged or is blocked by snow or debris after a traffic crash or slide off. There are also health concerns in cold weather conditions: Understand the signs of hypothermia and frostbite and how to prevent them. Create a plan to handle the possibility of becoming stranded. If there are no injuries in the crash, the vehicles should be moved off the roadway to a safer location while waiting for law enforcement to arrive.