Month: November 2015

In anticipation of inclement weather, Mid-Missouri schools have policies for adjusting the school day accordingly. “We look at a number of factors when determining whether or not we need to have school or if we need to have a delayed start. One of the things that we do when we look at whether or not

While several factors affect forecasting wintry weather, in the past five years technology upgrades have really improved our ability to tell you what type of precipitation is falling. Since we’re located in the central U.S., Missouri typically experiences all types of precipitation between November and March. But outside conditions can be deceiving, especially if temperatures

Unlike last winter, we have a major player which could affect our weather pattern through winter. A strong El-Nino is developing and we’re expecting it to play a big part in this winter’s temperatures and snowfall. When forecasting snow and temperature for the upcoming winter, teleconnection patterns are often used. Teleconnection patterns reflect large scale

Due to our inland location, winters in Mid-Missouri can be long with temperatures ranging from mild to bitterly cold. In fact, the record low temperature is -40 degrees which occurred in 1905. The average temperature for our winter months is around 32 degrees. Our coldest month tends to be January, where we really start to

We look at several things when determining how much snow will fall. First, we look at how much liquid precipitation the storm will produce then convert that to inches of snow. To do this we need to determine the snow to liquid equivalent. The snow to liquid equivalent is the amount of liquid precipitation that

Forecasting wintry weather in Mid-Missouri can be tricky because we’re located in the mid-latitudes. That means the freezing line tends to wobble right over us. This can present several forecasting challenges, especially when trying to forecast winter precipitation days out from an event. Temperatures play a huge role in winter forecasting. We look at temperatures

A 20-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a shooting on Business Loop 70 East in Columbia on October 20. Gerrell Eugene Lawrence is charged with armed criminal action, first degree assault, and unlawful use of a weapon. His bond is set for now at $4,500. A warrant for his arrest has been out

It was a calm day in Ferguson Monday, opposite of what we saw there and all of St. Louis County a year ago. Thousands from around the world gathered to hear St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch say a grand jury would not charge former Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson for killing Michael Brown, Jr.

ABC 17 News has confirmed two Mid-Missouri care facilities for the disabled are being forced to close their doors. Arbor Ridge Manor and Arbor Ridge Estates, both in Osage County, informed their residents this week that they will need to find somewhere else to live by next Thursday. Court documents said the owners filed for

We’re taking a closer look at the battles Jefferson City and Columbia police face daily by digging through dispatch records, crunching the numbers and asking cops and community leaders what steps they’re taking to combat crime in “hot spot” areas Wednesday, November 25, on ABC 17 News at 10 on KMIZ.

Tuesday marked one year since a grand jury decided not to indict Ferguson Police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown. ABC 17 News took a look back at the state response to rioting following the grand jury announcement and what has changed. The riots the community saw on year ago

A group opposed to moving the Desert Storm war memorial in the Boone County courthouse plaza showed up at the Boone County Commission meeting Tuesday morning. A handful of residents spoke out against moving the memorial during the public comments portion of the meeting. ABC 17 News reported in August that the commission voted unanimously

The Cole County Commission is considering a new proposal for major tax projects after its meeting Tuesday morning. The county heard the proposal for major tax projects for the first time Tuesday. The $26 million plan would fund infrastructure repair and maintenance. The half-cent sales tax would take place over a 5 year period starting

The special counting period with the Highway Patrol starts on Wednesday ahead of the holiday weekend. Extra troopers will be stationed every 20 miles on most major interstates Wednesday and Sunday, including Highway 63 and I-70. During last year’s enforcement, 18 people were killed statewide. Someone died or was injured every 12.6 seconds. You can

UPDATED AT 4 PM TUESDAY: A slow moving cold front will meet up with tropical moisture, giving us a soggy night for Thanksgiving. Light showers are possible Thanksgiving morning but the solid band of rain will stay in west-northwest Missouri for the first half of the day. Temperatures will reach the low 60s as rain

A Columbia man who pleaded guilty Monday to raping a relative will spend the next 10 years behind bars. Officers were called to a local hospital earlier this year regarding a sexual assault. James Young allegedly raped a female relative in the 4200 block of Clark Lane. Young was originally charged with felony rape and

A vehicle fire forced crews to shut down part of a highway in central Columbia Tuesday. It happened just before noon Tuesday near Interstate 70 and Highway 63. Boone County Joint Communications sent an alert that said crews shut down the north bound lanes of Highway 63, just south of I-70 due to an RV

The Columbia Police Department revealed the latest alcohol compliance checks Tuesday morning. One of the seven Columbia businesses checked sold alcohol to an underage buyer. Police checked the following locations on Monday November, 23: The Heidelberg, 410 South Tenth Street Gumby’s Pizza, 1201 East Broadway Ste A The Speedy Mart, 1300 Fellows Place Petro Mart

Chief Meteorologist Sharon Ray and the ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather team give you everything you need to know to be prepared for the winter weather season ahead. From winterizing your car so you’re not caught out in the cold, to understanding why slight temperature changes can mean the difference between ice and snow, we have

ABC 17 News continued to look into public safety in Columbia Monday after learning the police department is eliminating its traffic unit. ABC 17 News broke the story Friday following a leaked email from the department, saying all officers in the Traffic Unit will be moved to the Community Outreach Unit. So what does the