Ice storm stays to the south
As the National Weather Service predicted, a mix of wintry precipitation moved into the Parkland about 5 p.m. Tuesday, but, as of press time Tuesday, the question still remained how major of an impact the weather system would have on the area as the event continued to unfold through the overnight hours.
Even with the combination of rain, sleet and snow, there was reason to be thankful that the majority of the ice stayed south and east of the Parkland. According to the NWS, Iron and Madison counties were expected to get more sleet than Farmington and northward where an inch or less of snow was expected to fall by the time the system moved out of the area before daybreak this morning.
Still, schools in the area canceled many afterschool sporting events Tuesday in anticipation of the storm moving in. By mid-evening Fredericktown schools canceled classes for Wednesday, but the expectation was that more would decide to do so, especially in parts of the region receiving the most sleet.
The good news in all this is that the winter precipitation won’t be hanging around very long with an expected high of around 35 today with mostly clear skies. While a day in which temperatures remain stuck in the mid-30s won’t ever be confused with a spring day, it will be warm and clear enough to allow for a quick melting of any remaining ice or snow by Wednesday afternoon. Looking ahead, Thursday temps will be even warmer with an anticipated high in the upper 40s, and then on Friday, the thermometer should be moving into the mid-50s.
Another chance for more precipitation returns to the region this weekend.
For the latest NWS watches and warnings, check out the Daily Journal website at www.dailyjournalonline.com.
While it was uncertain how much snow the Parkland would receive from a fast-moving winter storm as of press time Tuesday evening, this photo of the Bismarck train depot with a light covering of snow taken in January may very well look similar to the area this morning.
Kevin Jenkins is a reporter for the Daily Journal and can be reached at 573-518-3614 or kjenkins@dailyjournalonline.com
