Winter Storm Warning For Lake Of The Ozarks Area: Weather Service Predicts 5-10 Inches Of Snow – Lake Expo

Uploaded by on January 11, 2019 at 3:14 pm

LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. — The winter storm forming across Missouri and Illinois will bring the heaviest snowfall to the Lake of the Ozarks area and eastward into Illinois, with the National Weather Service predicting between 5-10 inches over the next two days.

A Winter Storm Warning is in effect until midnight on Saturday for Benton, Morgan, Miller, Maries, Hickory, Camden, Pulaski, Phelps, Dallas, Laclede, Texas, Dent, Webster, Wright, and Shannon counties.

The slow-moving storm system had already brought a mixture of precipitation to the Lake area beginning early Friday, and the NWS says it will turn to snow on Friday afternoon, lasting through Saturday night. A total accumulation of 5-10 inches of snow is expected with the possibility of a light glaze of ice. The Lake of the Ozarks area and the eastern Ozarks can expect mostly heavy snow, while a wintry mix is forecasted for surrounding areas.

Travel conditions across central Missouri and the eastern Ozarks are expected to begin deteriorating late Friday afternoon and decline as the evening progresses. Travel is expected to be impacted throughout the rest of the Missouri Ozarks.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol issued a warning to drivers on Friday, asking drivers to, “make smart decisions about traveling Missouri’s roadways this weekend.”

“Consulting Missouri’s Road Condition Report (1-888-275-6636) or MoDOT’s Road Condition Map at traveler.modot.org/map can provide the most current road condition information available. Avoiding travel may be the safest decision.

It is next to impossible to stop quickly on snow-covered or icy roads. Drivers should compensate for these slippery conditions by increasing their following distance when driving. Decrease your vehicle’s speed when driving in snow or on ice. During inclement weather, driving the speed limit is not ‘exercising the highest degree of care.’ Missouri law (Section 304.012 RSMo.) states the responsibility of exercising the highest degree of care while driving rests on the driver’s shoulders.”

Winter Storm Warnings indicate that significant amounts of snow, sleet, and ice are expected to make travel very hazardous or impossible. Call 511 for updates on road conditions.