Arctic Blast Drops Temps, Causes Slippery Mess

A blast of arctic air November 11 didn’t come with a half-foot of snow and catchy title like last year’s “Snowvember,” but it still caused plenty of headaches for motorists across the state.

Area schools shut down Tuesday as temperatures dipped to a record-low 11 degrees overnight.

A combination of sleet and snow made for treacherous conditions on the roadways.

The National Weather Service predicted the surge of arctic air would shatter 385 cold records from the plains to the east coast.

More than two-thirds of the country was below freezing on Wednesday.

Snow accumulations in the area were minimal, with most of it covering the grass.

Temperatures were in the 60s one day earlier.

The precipitation was enough to keep first responders active throughout the day.

According to KMIZ, the Missouri Department of Transportation began treating roads in the central district around 4 a.m. on Monday. There were 225 trucks used to treat 11,300 lane miles of highway throughout the district.

The St. Louis district was less fortunate.

MoDOT District Engineer Bob Becker said a burst of late afternoon snow was unexpected and caught crews off guard.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Troop I reported three accidents that were attributed to the weather.

A Florissant man operating a 2012 Volvo tractor trailer lost control around 2:45 p.m. on the icy roadway at the 213 mile marker outside Leasburg. 

Michael I. Thomas, 59, had minor injuries. 

His vehicle struck guard rails and median cables before coming to a rest blocking all eastbound lanes.

In Dent County around 5:27 p.m., a Salem woman lost control of a 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer, overturning the vehicle and striking a fence on Highway 32. 

Sheila Welch, 55, was not wearing a seat belt and she had minor injuries.

Less than two hours later, another accident on Highway 32 left a Salem teen with serious injuries.

Jordan Sanders, 17, was operating a 2005 GMC Yukon when he lost control on the ice, ran off the left side of the roadway and overturned. He struck a utility pole.

Sanders was flown to Children’s Hospital.

Two other juvenile passengers had minor injuries and were not wearing seat belts.