EXTREME
EXTREME COLD DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS AND SNOW PILING UP.
THE REGION IS HUNKERING DOWN.
BUSINESSES ARE CLOSING EARLY
AND THE MISSOURI HIGHWAY PATROL
IS WARNING PEOPLE TO STAY OFF
THE ROADS.
GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU FOR
BEING WITH US.
I'M ANN ALLRED.
AND I'M MIKE MBUSH.
WE ARE IN STORM ALERT AND WE
HAVE A TEAM OF REPORTERS
COVERING TODAY'S STORM
INCLUDING THREE METEOROLOGISTS.
WE'RE GOING TO HEAD OUTSIDE IN
JUST A BIT.
BUT FIRST LET'S GET THE LATEST
ON THE FORECAST FROM CHIEF
METEOROLOGIST SCOTT.
SCOTT.
WELL, AT THIS POINT WE'RE STILL
LOOKING AT THE SNOW FALLING
AROUND ST. LOUIS.
THIS IS IN CHESTERFILED AS
YOU'RE GOING ALONG INTERSTATE
40, HIGHWAY 40 BECAUSE YOU GOT
TO BE ROLLING ALONG THERE BUT
THE VISIBILITIES ARE DOWN AND
IT'S DEFINITELY SLICK.
THE BACK EDGE OF ACCUMULATING
SNOW PUSHING IN NOW ABOUT TO
FARMINGTON LOOKS LIKE IT'S
ABOUT TO POTOSí AND THAT BACK
EDGE IS STARTING TO SLIDE NOW
INTO WESTERN PORTIONS
OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.
NOW WE ARE STILL SEEING SOME
POCKETS IN HERE WHERE IT'S
COMING DOWN.
WE'RE IN AN HOUR OR SO.
YOU COULD PICK UP ANOTHER THREE
QUARTERS TO AN INCH OR SO
OF SNOW AND IF THAT'LL CONTINUE
A LITTLE WHILE LONGER, MAYBE
SOME SPOTS THAT GET A COUPLE
INCHES.
THIS FROM LISA DOWN IN DESOTO
PRETTY SNOW COVERED AREA BUT
BOY IS IT COLD THOSE WIND
CHILLS RIGHT NOW ARE RUNNING 10
TO 20 DEGREES BELOW ZERO.
FRYBERG HAS NINE INCHES.
THAT'S AN UPDATE WE JUST GOT
GREENVILLE
ICERS SEVEN TO NINE
INCHES THERE'S GOING TO BE A
FEW SPOTS THAT ARE CLOSE TO
THAT FOOT BUT IN THE METRO AREA
WE BACK IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
WE STILL HAVE ANOTHER INCH OR
TWO TO GO BEFORE ALL IS SAID
AND DONE IN THE AREAS WHERE
WE'RE STILL SEEING THE
ACCUMULATING SNOW.
SO IT'S STARTING TO WIND DOWN
SIX O'CLOCK NOW PROBABLY BY
SEVEN THIRTY EIGHT O'CLOCK MOST
OF THE ACCUMULATING SNOW IS
OVER BUT IT'S NOT GOING
ANYWHERE.
THE WIND CHILLS THERE TEN TO
TWENTY FIVE DEGREES BELOW ZERO
THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING.
OVERNIGHT LOWS ARE CLOSE TO
ZERO.
WE STILL HAVE ANOTHER SNOW
CHANCE AS WE HEAD TOWARDS
WEDNESDAY WILL BE ANYTHING LIKE
THIS THOUGH ROAD CONDITIONS
THEY ARE DETERIORATING AS MORE
SNOW CONTINUES TO FALL.
LET'S GO TO JEFFERSON COUNTY
FIVE ONYOURSIDE METEOROLOGIST
JIM CASTILLO IS LIVE FROM FIFTY
FIVE AND ONE FORTY ONE IN
ARNOLD JIM.
YEAH, HI.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT
THERE'S THIS POWDERY SNOW SO
WATCH AS I JUST MOVE IT AROUND
A LITTLE BIT AND IT JUST BLOWS
ALL OVER THE PLACE.
SO EVEN WHEN THE PLOWS START TO
DO THEIR WORK THAT SNOW GOES
RIGHT BACK OVER THEIR ROADWAYS
AND THAT'S GOING TO BE THE
ISSUE TONIGHT.
THE SUN IS DOWN AND YOU GET ICY
SPOTS ALL OVER THE PLACE.
SO BE AWARE OF THAT.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT SOME VIDEO
AND JUST WATCH AS THAT SNOW
RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME OR EVEN IN
THIS VIDEO HERE IT'S BEEN
BLOWING SIDEWAYS SO THAT STIFF
WEDNESDAYS WITH US THERE ARE
THE PLOWS ENTERING NORTHBOUND.
FIFTY FIVE HERE WE WERE ON
FORTY FOUR AND LOOK AT THAT
SNOW ON THE ROADWAYS SO IT'S
HARD TO KEEP OFF THE ROADS AND
ONCE YOU GET STUCK TO LIKE EVEN
THIS TRUCK EVEN PEOPLE TRYING
TO HELP YOU, IT'S VERY
DIFFICULT TO GET OUT OF THAT
SITUATION SO WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT WIND CHILLS AS WE'RE
TAKING A LOOK THERE AT FIFTY
FIVE AGAIN WIND CHILLS DOWN
BELOW ZERO THROUGHOUT THE
ENTIRE NIGHT.
SO EVEN FOR US WE CAN COME OUT
HERE AND SHOW YOU WHAT'S GOING
ON IN FIFTY FIVE ONE FORTY ONE.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO POINT OUT
THAT IT'S VERY COLD AND TAKE A
LOOK AT WHAT RAY THINES HAS TO
SAY.
I DON'T HAVE ANY TROUBLE
DRIVING IN THIS KIND OF STUFF.
I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE DO.
YOU JUST GOT TO TAKE YOUR TIME
IF YOU DRIVE LIKE AN IDIOT
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE WRECKS AND
IF YOU DRIVE LIKE YOU GOT SOME
SENSE YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE
ANY TROUBLE OR MAYBE JUST STAY
HOME AND STAY OUT OF THIS AND
HOPEFULLY THIS WEEKEND WILL
WARM UP AND MOST OF THIS WILL
MELT.
BUT FOR NOW, EVERYONE, LET'S
SEND IT BACK TO YOU.
WE'LL GET NICE AND WARM HERE.
YEAH.
ALL RIGHT.
YOU DO THAT.
IT WON'T BE MELTING TONIGHT OR
TOMORROW, THAT'S FOR SURE.
MODOT IS ASKING PEOPLE TO STAY
OFF THE ROADS TONIGHT SO THE
CREWS CAN WORK TO CLEAR THEM.
AND FIVE ONYOURSIDE
METEOROLOGIST TRACY HINSON IS
KEEPING ON ROAD CONDITIONS IN
ST. LOUIS COUNTY TONIGHT.
SHE JOINS US LIVE FROM D68 OR
IN CHESTERFIELD TRACY.
MIKE, WE JUST GOT WE'RE JUST
GETTING A COUPLE OF GOOD GUSTS
OF WIND HERE AND IT'S NOT QUITE
AS STRONG AS IT WAS LAST HOUR
LAST HOUR I CLOCKED UP MINUS
SEVENTEEN WINDCHILL LOOKS LIKE
I'M GETTING ABOUT MINUS SEVEN
TO MINUS TEN RIGHT NOW AS THAT
COMES THROUGH.
I'VE ALSO MEASURED THAT
SNOWFALL WHERE THE PLOWS HAVE
COME THROUGH.
IT'S STILL ABOUT AN INCH
OF SNOWFALL ON THE ROADWAYS AS
YOU GET CLOSER AND CLOSER TO
THE EDGE THOUGH.
SO THAT'S IN SLIGHT OFF
TERRITORY OR YOUR ON AND OFF
RAMPS YOU GET TO ABOUT THREE
INCHES AND THEN IF YOU WERE TO
GET STUCK IT'S COMING IN AT
ABOUT EIGHT INCHES.
I'VE BEEN MEASURING IT OFF AND
ON.
SO LAST HOUR WE HAD ABOUT SEVEN
RIGHT ABOUT HERE.
NOW WE HAVE ABOUT EIGHT INCHES
OF SNOWFALL ON THE OVERPASS NOW
WE'VE BEEN OUT THROUGHOUT THE
DAY MONITORING THE ROAD
CONDITIONS AROUND INTERSTATE 64
IN TOWN AND YOU KNOW, THE PLOWS
HAVE BEEN OUT THEY'VE BEEN OUT
A LOT BUT IT'S STILL HAS NOT
ACCOMPLISHED A WHOLE LOT.
THERE'S ONLY TWO LANES OPEN ON
THE WELL NOW IT'S REALLY DOWN
TO ONE LANE OPEN EARLIER IT WAS
TWO LANES.
IT'S LIKE ONE AND A HALF BOTH
WESTBOUND AND EASTBOUND ON
INTERSTATE 64.
I RAN INTO SOME OF THE GUYS WHO
WERE OPERATING THE PLOW TRUCKS
FOR TOWN AND COUNTRY AND THEY
SAID THEY STARTED AT 2:00 THIS
MORNING AND EXPECT TO BE OUT
ALL NIGHT.
WE GOT TO WORK AT TWO O'CLOCK
THIS MORNING AND IT LOOKS LIKE
WE'RE GONNA BE HERE TILL LATE
TONIGHT OR EARLY TOMORROW
MORNING.
SO IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG DAY
.
CARSON TELLS ME THAT THEY PLAN
TO BE OUT THROUGH MOST THE
NIGHT AND WE CHECKED IN WITH
MODOT AS WELL.
THEY HAVE PLANS TO WORK THROUGH
THE NIGHT AND INTO TOMORROW IN
ST. LOUIS INCRASE HENSON FIVE
ONYOURSIDE IN THE METRO EAST
IDOT HAS ALL THE PLOWS ON THE
ROAD ROAD CREWS ARE USING A
CALCIUM CHLORIDE BLEND WHICH
WORKS IN THESE VERY SUPER COLD
TEMPERATURES.
IT'S A DELICATE BALANCE THOUGH
OVERTREATING COULD CREATE ICE
PLOW OPERATORS ARE ALSO
BATTLING THE WIND AND OTHER
DRIVERS AT LEAST TWO PLOWS HAVE
BEEN INVOLVED IN ACCIDENTS SO
WE ALWAYS SAY BECAUSE WE ALWAYS
NEED TO SAY IF YOU SEE A PLOW
SLOW DOWN, MOVE OVER AND GIVE
THEM SOME ROOM.
EDWARDSVILLE FIRE CREWS HAVE
BEEN BATTLING A LUMBER YARD
FIRE IN THE SNOW AND BELOW
FREEZING TEMPERATURES ALL
AFTERNOON.
IT KNOCKED OUT POWER IN THE
AREA LEAVING MANY NEIGHBORS IN
COLD HOMES.
FIVE ONYOURSIDE RYHAN HENSON IS
LIVE AT ARPIT LUMBER ON EAST
VANDALIA WITH INFORMATION ON
WHEN THAT FIRE WILL BE OUT AND
POWER RESTORED RYHAN.
WELL, AND IF YOU'RE ONE OF THE
NEIGHBORS HERE IN THE AREA AT
HOME WITH NO POWER IN THE COLD,
THE COUNTY IS SET UP TWO
WARNING STATIONS BUT WYLY
THEATER OR THE MEYER CENTER
YMCA, THEY'RE URGING PEOPLE TO
GO THERE.
NOW IN TERMS OF THE OPERATION
OUT HERE, THERE'S TWO THINGS
THAT CREWS ARE WORKING ON RIGHT
NOW.
SEE THEM IN THAT HOLE RIGHT
THERE?
THEY'RE DIGGING DOWN TO A GAS
LINE.
THAT GAS LINE IS FEEDING THIS
FIRE OVER HERE ON THE OTHER
SIDE OF ME RIGHT HERE AND
THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S PREVENTING
THINGS FROM GOING ANY FURTHER
OUT HERE.
NOW LET'S REWIND TO TWELVE
THIRTY THIS AFTERNOON.
THAT'S WHEN THE FIRE CHIEF SAYS
THEY GOT THE CALL ABOUT THIS
FIRE.
THE BURNING BUILDING ACTUALLY
COLLAPSED AND RIGHT NOW CREWS
ARE TRYING TO SHUT OFF THAT GAS
LINE TO PUT EVERYTHING OUT AND
THE CONDITIONS OUT HERE ARE
REALLY PLAYING A FACTOR.
AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WINDS BLEW
FLAMES ACTUALLY IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT ACTUALLY
DAMAGED ONE OF THE HOUSES BUT
DIDN'T IT DIDN'T ACTUALLY CATCH
FIRE.
IT ALSO KNOCKED OUT POWER IN
THE AREA TO THIRTEEN HUNDRED
CUSTOMERS ACCORDING TO AMREN.
AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THE
FREEZING TEMPERATURES AND WATER
TERRIBLE COMBINATION AND
SLOWERRE OPERATION DOWN BUT
CREWS HAVE BATTLED THROUGH IT.
DID THEY DON'T WONDERFUL JOB
TODAY GIVEN GIVEN ALL THE
CHALLENGES THAT WE HAD IN FRONT
OF US KEEPING THAT TO ONE
BUILDING AND AND LIMITING
INJURIES.
IT WAS A IT WAS A GOOD DAY FOR
THESE GUYS NOT THE FIRE CHIEF
SAYS THAT THEY WON'T KNOW
ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT CAUSED THIS
FIRE UNTIL THEY CAN ACTUALLY
GET THAT GAS LINE UNDER
CONTROL.
THAT'S WHEN THE INVESTIGATION
WILL BEGIN AFTER THAT.
AND THEN ONCE AGAIN, IF YOU'RE
ONE OF THE NEIGHBORS IN THE
AREA AND YOU DON'T HAVE POWER,
IT'S OBVIOUSLY BITTER COLD OUT
HERE.
HAD TO MYOSIN A YMCA OR THE
WILEY THEATER.
THE COUNTY SAYS THEY'RE TAKING
CARE OF EVERYBODY THAT COMES
THROUGH THE DOORS.
I'M RYHAN HENSON FIVE
ONYOURSIDE A LIVE LOOK NOW AT
OLD TOWN FLORISSANT AS WE HEAD
TO BREAK THIS IS SACRED HEART
CHURCH AGAIN.
IF YOU MUST GO OUT TONIGHT, BE
CAREFUL.
TAKE IT SLOW.
SNOW AND FRIGID TEMPERATURES
ARE ADDING UP TO SOME VERY
DANGEROUS CONDITIONS AND WE DO
WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU HOW MANY
INCHES OF SNOW DO YOU HAVE IN
YOUR HOUSE RIGHT NOW?
MOST OF YOU SAY THREE TO SIX
INCHES.