Authorities warn of slick roads for evening commute
UPDATE, 9:15 P.M.: The Missouri State Highway Patrol says it’s investigating a fatal crash in Audrain County.
The patrol’s Troop F tweeted just before 9 p.m. that it was working to notify the family members of the victim. The tweet said the crash happened on Highway 54, and involved just one car.
Sgt. Scott White told ABC 17 News that weather conditions “likely” played a part in the crash at Highway 54 and Route B. The trooper responding to the scene reported slick roads as they approached, White said.
Troop F said since 2 p.m., it responded to 20 crashes and 25 cases of cars sliding off the road.
UPDATE 5:50 P.M.: State highways that had been clear earlier in the afternoon showed signs of hazardous conditions as night fell in central Missouri.
Highway 63 from Jefferson City to the northern Boone County line was mostly clear, indicating some snowy or icy conditions, a little before 6 p.m., according to MoDOT’s traveler information map. Earlier Monday the map showed that route as clear. I-70 through Columbia to the eastern Boone County line also was partially covered.
Several state roads in Columbia were also being shown on the map as partially covered.
Click here to see the MoDOT map.
Click here for a full list of school and community event closings.
UPDATE 4:45 P.M.: Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Scott White said troopers are actually working several crashes on Highway 63 at Rocky Fork Creek.
One southbound vehicle crossed the median into the northbound lanes and another car drove down a ravine and overturned, White said. The patrol had five open calls at the location a little after 4:30 p.m.
White said the patrol’s Troop C, which covers most of mid-Missouri, has worked 45 crashes since midnight and most were weather-related.
Local authorities also reported a crash on northbound Providence Road at the Bear Creek bridge. The road is blocked, an ABC 17 News photographer at the scene said.
UPDATE 4:35 P.M.: Columbia Public Works says it will bring in an overnight crew at 7 p.m. Monday to treat roads as temperatures continue to drop.
The department said snow is expected to taper off over the next few hours but frigid overnight lows might cause refreezing. Day crews will be focused on first- and second-priority routes until 7 p.m., when an overnight crew will report, the department wrote on Facebook.
UPDATE 4:15 P.M.: Boone County Joint Communications reported another crash on Highway 63 northbound, this time near Stadium Boulevard.
Dispatchers also put out a public alert that roads are getting slick thanks to dropping temperatures.
BOONE CO JOINT COM: Slick roadways due to freezing temperatures creating hazardous road conditions. Use caution, avoid driving if possible.
— Joint Communications (@BCJC911) November 12, 2018
#BooneCounty We’re working several crashes on US 63 at Rocky Fork Creek. Please slow down and use caution in the area. pic.twitter.com/6M1ZZT4lIB
— MSHP Troop F (@MSHPTrooperF) November 12, 2018
UPDATE 4:10 P.M.: First responders are reporting a multiple-vehicle crash on Highway 63 northbound at Rock Fork Creek. It’s the first crash to show up on Boone County dispatching records since a crash on I-70 at 12:20 p.m.
Three vehicles are involved in the crash.
UPDATE 3:55 P.M.: Darren Kimbrel with Boone County Public Works said Monday afternoon that crews were applying more salt to slushy roads.
Crews are using the minimum amount of salt needed in order to preserve the supply, but they will also put salt on bridge decks to stop overnight freezing, Kimbrel told ABC 17 News. Kimbrel said it appeared the most snow accumulation on roads took place in the northeast part of Boone County around Hallsville.
MoDOT reported continued improvement on state highways. Highway 63 in Randolph County was considered clear by about 3:45 p.m. Monday.
Click here to see the MoDOT map.
Click here for a full list of school and community event closings.
UPDATE 2:15 P.M.: State highways were improving by mid-afternoon Monday as snowfall began to slacken in mid-Missouri.
Snow is beginning to taper off, particularly west of Highway 65. However, another smaller band of snow is possible this evening before bitter cold moves in. Click here for the latest local forecast.
Several schools in the area have dismissed early. MoDOT’s traveler information map shows roads are starting to clear, with most routes around Columbia and Boone County being listed as mostly clear to partly covered. Highway 63 was clear south of Columbia past Jefferson City and north to Randolph County.
Columbia Public Works is bringing in an eight-person crew at 4 a.m. Tuesday to continue treating roads. Road crews were out Monday working as the snow continued.
“It’s important, obviously, to pre-treat those roads, and when temperatures are high enough like they are now, the salt is effective,” said Barry Dalton with Columbia Public Works. “As the pavement temperatures drop, the roads become slippery, and that salt helps with that.”
Dalton said if the weather keeps up, the city will use more salt than it has in years past.
“Last year, we used about half of the capacity of the salt dome, and those were fairly mild winters,” he said. “But we may need the whole 5,000 tons this year. We’ll just have to see.”
Click here to see the MoDOT map.
Click here for a full list of school and community event closings.
UPDATE 12:40 P.M.: Several state highways in western and central Missouri were either covered or partly covered with snow.
Interstate 70 remained partly covered from the Boone County line in the east to Kansas City. Highway 63 was clear in Boone County and around Jefferson City but partly covered in Randolph County and north to Kirksville.
Boone County firefighters were sent to a crash on eastbound Interstate 70 at the 136 mile marker, but that was the first crash in Boone County reported since about 11:30 a.m.
Click here to see the MoDOT map.
Click here for a full list of school and community event closings.
UPDATE 11:45 A.M.: MoDOT’s traveler map shows more mid-Missouri roads are becoming snow-covered.
The map at about 11:40 a.m. showed Interstate 70 was partly covered by snow from Kansas City to a point east of the Route Z exit in Boone County.
Conditions on Highway 240 between Glasgow and Marshall appear to have improved, as that road is now only partly covered.
Several crashes have been reported in Boone County, including four since 10:51 a.m. Those crashes took place on Highway 63 and Broadway in Ashland, on Highway 63 at Turkey Creek, at the 135.6-mile marker on I-70 and at College Avenue and Rollins Street.
❄️❄️
While we haven’t had much snow there have been accidents on 63.
Currently to 1 lane south bound near Jones Power Sports.
Drive safe, careful and responsible.
— Southern Boone Fire (@SOBOCOFIRE) November 12, 2018
Click here to see the MoDOT map.
Click here for a full list of school and community event closings.
UPDATE 11:10 A.M.: MoDOT’s traveler map showed Highway 240 west of Glasgow was covered by snow to west of Marshall.
Interstate 70 west of Columbia, which had been mostly clear, was also covered at about 11 a.m.
Click here to see the MoDOT map.
Click here for a full list of school and community event closings.
UPDATE: The Missouri Department of Transportation’s online travel map shows some state highways in mid-Missouri are partly covered by snow.
At about 10:30 a.m. the map showed highways 40 and 40 between Midway and Marshall were party covered, including Highway 40 into Boonville. Interstate 70 also had some snow on it west of Columbia, but was labeled as “most clear” through Cooper County’s western border.
Click here to see the MoDOT map.
Check back for updates on travel conditions throughout the day.
