Much of Southeast Missouri will be under an ice storm warning from midnight Tuesday until 6 p.m. Thursday, local first responders and emergency management officials learned Tuesday afternoon during a conference call with the National Weather Service.
“The bottom line is we are facing a potentially pretty major ice storm for parts of the area, followed by brutal cold this weekend,” said NWS meteorologist Rick Shanklin.
Freezing rain could potentially begin to fall by 6 p.m. Tuesday, Shanklin said, and will continue through Thursday as the system moves southeast.
As weather service officials have gathered more data, Shanklin said, the track of the heaviest band of freezing rain, and its resulting ice accumulations, has moved farther south than originally predicted a few days ago.
“We likely will see trace amounts to the north, to possibly a half-inch toward the Tennessee and Arkansas border,” Shanklin said of ice accumulations.
The Poplar Bluff area, Shanklin showed on a graphic, is expected to receive between one-tenth and one-quarter inch of ice, primarily from 6 p.m. Tuesday through 6 a.m. Thursday.
The probability of seeing heavier amounts in the Poplar Bluff area, Shanklin said, fall between 30% and 50%.
Points to the south and southeast will see much greater amounts of ice, with a probability exceeding 70%.
“If that does indeed materialize, this will be one of the biggest ice events we’ve seen for the last two or three winters,” Shanklin said.
The dynamics of the approaching system, NWS meteorologist Pat Spoden said, are similar to ice storms in 1991 and the major 2009 storm which caused havoc across the region. However, there is much less concern this time than in 2009.
“The setup is somewhat the same, but we should not see near the amounts (of ice) we saw in 2009,” Spoden said.
Minor to moderate impacts are expected from the ice storm, Shanklin said, including injuries from falls on slick surfaces to power outages in areas hit hardest.
“There’s also a wind factor in that. Thankfully, we don’t have a lot of wind,” he said. “We’re looking at winds around 10 mph, with gusts into the teens toward the end of the week.”
The ice storm will be followed by a cold air mass, which will settle over the region and bring the coldest temperatures of the winter to this point.
Friday night temperatures, Shanklin said, will range from single digits in northern areas to the lower teens at points south.
Most areas will see single-digit low temperatures both Saturday and Sunday nights, with the Poplar Bluff area expected to drop to around 2 degrees.
Butler County Emergency Management Director Robbie Myers suggests residents play it safe during such winter weather conditions.
“Be careful and use common sense,” Myers urged. “Conditions could be very hazardous, so make sure you have enough food and water in case you need to stay home for a couple days.”
Myers suggests people avoid doing any strenuous activities outside, and he also recommends checking on the elderly and loved ones who may need a warm place to stay.
Despite the potential for ice and the coming cold temperatures, Butler County Health Center Administrator Emily Goodin said, Friday’s second mass vaccination event is expected to go on as planned.
“We’re still a go for the clinic on Friday at the Black River Coliseum,” Goodin said. “From what I’ve heard the only way it would get canceled is if it’s directed from the SEMA (State Emergency Management Agency) director himself.”
The event will be indoors, Goodin said, and transportation will be available from the parking lots.
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