Officials say streets will be difficult to clear today, ahead of next round of winter weather

Freezing precipitation overnight is making morning travel slick and dangerous in places.

“Roads over most of the region are slick and hazardous, and little

Improvement is expected with temperatures staying below freezing

and little sunshine expected,” the National Weather Service reported this morning with windchills hovering around 7.

Poplar Bluff Street Department workers have seen similar issues.

“The temperatures aren’t really going to get high enough to do any good thawing,” said Jerry Lawson, Poplar Bluff street superintendent. “You have a hard time moving this. You just can’t get enough down pressure to get to pavement, to get the blade down. If you do, then you lose traction, you sit there and spin.”

The street department treated several roads Monday with brine, including Main, Barron, South 11th, Oak Grove and Shelby, as well as north-south corridors like Garfield, Alice, Ninth, Maud, Spring and Harper. “It will help once it warms up a little bit more,” said Lawson, explaining temperatures above 15 and closer to 20-23, were needed for the material to activate.

Street department workers will put more material out on roads during the day, and have been on call overnight to assist law enforcement, medical workers and utility workers with emergencies.

“We’re probably just going to have to deal with it for today,” said Lawson.

The NWS says another round of light sleet, freezing rain and snow is possible between 3-9 p.m.

“The greatest accumulations will be along the Arkansas and Tennessee borders. The minor wintry accumulations may make travel conditions worse, but they are likely to already be slick and hazardous,” according to meteorologists.