Highway patrol reports nine injured on snowy roads
UPDATE 4:40 P.M.: Troop F of the Missouri State Highway Patrol says troopers have been sent to 42 crashes with nine total injuries.
The numbers included 133 calls for service and 47 stranded drivers.
In Columbia, snowfall had tapered off by late afternoon and crews were continuing to focus on priority routes, Public Works spokesman Barry Dalton said.
UPDATE 3:40 P.M.: Jefferson City Public Works operations manager Britt Smith said the department's 24 plow trucks and primary crews will be on standby throughout the evening rush hour.
"We have almost every road in town cleared curb to curb," Smith said. "The pavement temperatures are staying up. We believe our roads are in good shape."
Smith said the department's drivers used minimal salt material during Wednesday's treatment because of the relatively high ground temperature.
An eight-to-10-person crew will relieve the primary road staff overnight, Smith said.
UPDATE 2:20 P.M.: Emergency dispatchers sent out an alert saying Route WW east of Columbia was closed at Rangeline Road because of downed utility lines.
Columbia Public Works spokesman Barry Dalton said priority routes are covered but passable. Crews are having trouble keeping up with the heavy snowfall rates, he said.
UPDATE 1:35 P.M.: Traffic was starting to flow slowly on Interstate 70 westbound between Columbia and the Rocheport bridge.
Traffic was at a standstill early Wednesday afternoon after authorities closed the bridge over the Missouri River at Rocheport because of crashes that included tractor-trailers.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol said at least one person was hurt.
MoDOT Central District spokesman Adam Pulley said crews will continue to treat rounds around the clock. He said treating I-70 near Columbia will be difficult with the traffic backups.
UPDATE 11 A.M.: Snow continues to fall and cover roads around Mid-Missouri.
The Missouri Department of Transportation traveler information map showed roads were covered were party covered around Mid-Missouri. Interstate 70 and Highway 63 are among the roads MoDOT labeled as covered.
ABC 17 News reporter Amber Tabeling said roads were covered in Fulton by mid-morning with more snow falling.
ORIGINAL: Mid-Missouri roads became covered on Wednesday morning as heavy snow began to fall throughout the area.
The Missouri Department of Transportation traveler map showed most Columbia and Jefferson City roads as snow-covered.
Columbia had a 23-person plow crew report at 7 a.m. to start plowing and treating roads.
The ABC 17 News Stormtrack Doppler radar showed snow moving through the area at 9:30 a.m. Monday. Keep up with the latest weather forecast with the Weather Alert Day blog.
Several waves of low pressure along with a steady stream of moisture will ride along and north of a stationary boundary across far southern Missouri. The main activity coming today by mid-morning in the form of moderate to heavy accumulating snow.
