Columbia Public Schools to start late Friday

Columbia Public Schools will be in session Friday but will start two hours late as the area deals with the aftermath of an ice storm.

The district notified parents of the decision a little before 5 p.m. Thursday.

In the interest of safety, Columbia Public Schools will have a 2-hour delayed start on Friday, Feb. 8.

This means buses will pick up 2 hours later than the original pick up time.

— Michelle Baumstark (@mbaumstark) February 7, 2019

Moberly Public Schools is among the districts that announced a Friday closing by mid-afternoon Thursday. Westran and Northeast Randolph County schools will also be closed.

The full list of closings is available here.

Temperatures had dropped into the upper teens in Columbia by mid-afternoon Thursday and were expected to continue falling into the evening. Rain began falling on mid-Missouri late Wednesday, leaving behind water that became slick ice on many area roads. The Missouri Department of Transportation traveler information map showed state highways in the northern and western parts of the area were partially covered or covered in ice and local authorities have urged people not to travel.

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