By Rachel Lippmann
St. Louis, MO – Freezing rain has already started falling across the St. Louis area, but the National Weather Service says the region will likely escape the worst of the storm.
Scott Truett with the National Weather Service says the worst conditions will be north of Highway 36, which runs through Hannibal. Ice accumulations there could reach a quarter of an inch or more.
"Ultimately, how bad it gets is going to be very critical on temperatures, and one or two degrees either way is probably going to make a huge difference on the amount of ice accumulation we get."
Truett says the biggest concern along the I-70 corridor will be untreated roads. "The ground temperatures are still pretty cold, so even if it gets to 33 or 34 degrees, we could still have some freezing, the rain freezing on roads and especially those that are untreated," he said.
The Missouri Department of Transportation says most of the roads are still well-treated from winter weather earlier this week. But crews will be out looking for slick spots, and a spokeswoman is urging everyone to slow down.