Power Outage in Cape Girardeau, MO

Several large trees were down in the Cape Girardeau area. About 2,500 customers were without power in the Cape Girardeau area. A trained spotter just north of Delta estimated winds gusted to 60 mph. A few limbs were down in that area.

A power pole and power lines were down in the Red Star neighborhood of Cape Girardeau. A tree was down across a road in the Cape Rock area, a few miles northeast of the city.

Numerous trees and power lines were blown down. A trained spotter estimated winds gusted from 60 to 65 mph. Over a thousand customers were without power in southern Cape Girardeau County.

Peak winds were estimated near 90 mph. The tornado touched down on Highway V near County Road 607, then moved east across forested and hilly terrain. The tornado lifted as it crossed Highway 177 at the Trail of Tears State Park. Dozens of trees, some large, were broken or uprooted. Several power poles were snapped from fallen trees. The tornado was sighted by numerous people, and video was taken by at least one individual. The parent storm produced two small tornadoes on the other side of the Mississippi River near Wolf Lake, Illinois within the next 10 minutes.

Peak winds were estimated near 90 mph. The tornado touched down on Highway V near County Road 607, then moved east across forested and hilly terrain. The tornado lifted as it crossed Highway 177 at the Trail of Tears State Park. Dozens of trees, some large, were broken or uprooted. Several power poles were snapped from fallen trees. The tornado was sighted by numerous people, and video was taken by at least one individual. The parent storm produced two small tornadoes on the other side of the Mississippi River near Wolf Lake, Illinois within the next 10 minutes.

In the southwest corner of Cape Girardeau County, trees and power lines were down along County Road 274.

Roughly 800 customers in the Cape Girardeau area were without power due to high winds, primarily west of Interstate 55.

Power lines were down on County Road 525.

Widespread flash flooding of streets occurred in the city of Cape Girardeau. Emergency crews responded to at least one water rescue. The Cape Girardeau Fire Department reported there were several roads with 18 inches to three feet of water on them, including roads that normally do not flood. Police advised residents to stay off the streets. At Southeast Missouri State University, some campus buildings experienced flooding issues. Power was out in a campus building due to the water. At the Cape Girardeau airport, the automated rain gage measured 1.65 inches in 30 minutes. Slightly over three inches fell in one hour. Widespread street flooding also occurred in Delta. In the southwest corner of the county, water was over Highway NN just off Highway 25. Near Gordonville, County Road 226 was closed just west of Highway 25 due to a pipe washed out from under the road. Water was over some other county roads.

Widespread flash flooding of streets occurred in the city of Cape Girardeau. Emergency crews responded to at least one water rescue. The Cape Girardeau Fire Department reported there were several roads with 18 inches to three feet of water on them, including roads that normally do not flood. Police advised residents to stay off the streets. At Southeast Missouri State University, some campus buildings experienced flooding issues. Power was out in a campus building due to the water. At the Cape Girardeau airport, the automated rain gage measured 1.65 inches in 30 minutes. Slightly over three inches fell in one hour. Widespread street flooding also occurred in Delta. In the southwest corner of the county, water was over Highway NN just off Highway 25. Near Gordonville, County Road 226 was closed just west of Highway 25 due to a pipe washed out from under the road. Water was over some other county roads.

Trees were downed in the city. Over 2,400 utility customers were without power around the county.

A piece of siding was off a house. Large tree limbs were blown down. One power pole was broken, and a tree was down.

A National Weather Service damage survey indicated winds up to 95 mph occurred in a microburst over the south side of the city of Cape Girardeau. Dozens of trees, tree limbs, and some power lines were blown down. Downed trees closed a major intersection. There was mostly minor damage to several homes, including loss of shingles. The metal roof of a commercial building was peeled back. Traffic was slowed on Interstate 55 due to tree debris. A tractor-trailer rig was rolled over on Interstate 55 near the 96 mile marker. Except for a few downed branches, all of the damage was south of the downtown area and Shawnee Parkway (Highways 34 and 74). The average path width was a mile and one-quarter. The path length was 3.5 miles.

Lots of shingles were blown off homes. One home sustained major damage, with pieces of a neighbor's roof embedded into the sides of the house. The roof was ripped off a convenience store. A semi and trailer were overturned along Highway 25. A total of ten buildings were damaged, including five businesses, two residences, one church, and two barns. Most of the damage was minor roof damage, except for the one home and one business. Trees were blown down, along with at least one power pole. All of the damaged structures were in the community of Delta. Peak winds were estimated near 100 mph. The average path width was 75 yards.

Trees and power lines were down on a city street.

An Emergency Management survey revealed an EF1 tornado with peak winds of about 105 mph. Two wooden power poles were broken and several large trees were uprooted along Hwy 535 near Neely's Landing. There were several eyewitness accounts along with a cell phone video of the tornado. Eyewitnesses reported the tornado lifted as it crossed the Mississippi river.

An Emergency Management survey revealed an EF1 tornado with peak winds of about 105 mph. Two wooden power poles were broken and several large trees were uprooted along Hwy 535 near Neely's Landing. There were several eyewitness accounts along with a cell phone video of the tornado. Eyewitnesses reported the tornado lifted as it crossed the Mississippi river.

Thousands of trees were snapped or uprooted, and several houses were damaged. The houses that were damaged suffered primarily partial roof loss. The houses were located in Oak Ridge and Pocahontas. One man was injured when a roof collapsed on him. Numerous barns and grain bins were destroyed. Many power lines were blown down. The average path width was 250 yards. Peak winds were estimated near 115 mph. The tornado path continued across the Mississippi River into Union County, Illinois.

Wind gusts that were estimated near 70 mph bent a flag pole. Numerous tree limbs were blown down, including a large limb on power lines. A few trees fell across homes. Power was knocked out to about 2,500 utility customers.

Wind gusts that were estimated near 70 mph bent a flag pole. Numerous tree limbs were blown down, including a large limb on power lines. A few trees fell across homes. Power was knocked out to about 2,500 utility customers.

Thunderstorm winds blew down trees and power lines. One tree landed on a house and another on a vehicle. The damage was mainly on the south end of the city.

The tornado was chased by trained spotters. During a brief touchdown, large tree limbs were blown down. A window was blown out of a house. Trees and power lines were down. Peak winds were estimated near 85 mph.

Six medium-size trees were blown down in Delta. A wind gust to 70 mph was measured at the Cape Girardeau airport ASOS (automated surface observing system). Over 1,000 people lost power in Chaffee.

Numerous trees and power lines were blown down, blocking roads and damaging houses. A trained spotter estimated gusts around 60 mph. Power outages affected more than 5,000 customers in the county.

Lightning struck the building that houses control equipment at an electrical substation. Power was interrupted for about 3,600 customers for two to three hours.

Numerous trees and power lines were brought down. A trained spotter estimated winds gusted to 60 mph.

Widespread damaging winds affected northern parts of the county. Over 1,000 trees were blown down, along with power lines. Many roads were blocked. The trees fell on homes, vehicles, and power lines. Power poles were snapped. Extended power outages lasting up to several days were reported. Barns and sheds were blown down. Just west of Oak Ridge, 259 trees were blown down on a single farm. The house and a garage on the farm received holes in their roofs. Windows were blown out of at least one house in Oak Ridge. Towns that experienced the worst damage were north of Jackson, including Daisy and Pocahontas. Several trees were blown down in Jackson, including one that landed on a car.

Several blocks of downtown Cape Girardeau flooded with up to four feet of water after a lightning strike knocked out power to storm water pumps. Water was up to two feet deep in a historic restaurant. The pumps are used to keep the downtown commercial district dry when the Mississippi River is above flood stage. Storm water does not freely drain into the river when it is above flood stage.

Numerous trees were blown down from just south of Delta to the Cape Girardeau city limits. At least one tree fell against a house, and a tree limb fell on a roof. A trained spotter estimated a 60 mph wind gust 1 mile northeast of Cape Girardeau. In the city of Cape Girardeau, numerous trees and power lines were down in the northwest section of the city. Trees landed on sheds, garages, and a vehicle. Cleanup was expected to take several days. About 6,400 customers in Cape Girardeau were without power at the peak of the outage.

Widespread damage to trees and power lines occurred in Jackson and Cape Girardeau, especially in northeast sections of Cape Girardeau. Numerous power outages affected about 3,000 customers. Red Cross officials activated response plans, providing ice and water to numerous residents. Hundreds of residents remained without power through most of the following day. Three homes suffered major damage, mainly due to trees falling across them. A chimney was torn off one house. Streets were closed due to numerous downed trees and power lines. Siding was blown off a house in Fruitland, and a trampoline was thrown several hundred yards.

Numerous trees and power lines were blown down, knocking out power to more than 1,000 electric customers. The city fire department responded to 12 calls of downed power lines during the storm. The peak wind gust at the Cape Girardeau airport, south of the city, was 50 MPH. Estimated higher gusts occurred in the city.

Several trees were blown down on power lines in Fruitland. About a mile northeast of Cape Girardeau, four-inch diameter tree limbs were blown down by winds estimated near 58 MPH.

Several trees and power lines were blown down.

The tin roof was ripped off a barn on Highway 74, about 2 miles west of Interstate 55. The roof was blown into some power lines, which were knocked down. At the nearby Cape Girardeau airport, the peak wind gust recorded by the automated observing system was 54 MPH.

Lightning struck two houses, causing an attic fire at one house and a roof fire at the other. Both houses sustained moderate damage. An electric substation was struck by lightning, causing a fire and subsequent power outage for thousands of people.

Trees were down on Route W north of Cape Girardeau, bringing a power line down. In the northwest corner of the county, trees were down in the vicinity of Friedheim. Fallen power lines were reported in Gordonville.

Power lines and tree limbs were down.

An organized line of severe thunderstorms produced widespread wind damage across several counties in southeast Missouri. Numerous trees were blown down during the evening from Wayne County, east-southeast across northern Stoddard and southern Bollinger Counties, through Scott County. Widespread power outages occurred, and several thousand customers remained without power into the morning of the following day. There were at least two measurements of wind gusts between 70 and 75 mph. Ahead of the organized line of severe thunderstorms, an isolated severe thunderstorm produced large hail. Storms initiated over western Missouri late in the afternoon and gradually evolved into a line that moved eastward along a frontal corridor across southern Missouri. Given adequate westerly wind flow through a deep layer, the storms organized into a squall line with considerable damaging wind potential.

A strong storm system led to significant impacts. Heavy rainfall amounts of 3 to 4.5 inches produced flash flooding of a few creeks and roads. Small rivers such as the Black, Current, and St. Francis experienced minor flooding. Strong wind gusts occurred, ranging between 40 and 60 mph. These winds were produced by a strong pressure gradient on the back side of a very intense low pressure system. The highest measured wind gust was 58 mph in Mississippi County along the Mississippi River. Other peak wind gusts included 56 mph at the Cape Girardeau airport, 49 mph at the Sikeston airport, and 48 mph at the Poplar Bluff airport. A period of strong northeast winds during the early morning hours was followed by even stronger northwest winds following the passage of the low pressure center in the afternoon. The magnitude and duration of this wind produced scattered damage to trees and power lines. Soggy ground due to the excessive rainfall likely contributed to some trees being more susceptible to being blown over. Scattered power outages occurred, particularly in the Mississippi River counties. Finally, the lowest barometric pressure of all-time was observed in Paducah, Kentucky (977.7 mb) as the center of the low tracked from the bootheel of extreme southeast Missouri northeast right along the Ohio River.

Widespread snowfall blanketed southeast Missouri during the night of the 24th into the early morning hours of the 25th. Heavy snowfall occurred in most areas except the Kentucky border counties of Mississippi and New Madrid. The heaviest snowfall was in the Ozark foothills north and northwest of Poplar Bluff, over 6 inches in some areas. Carter and Bollinger Counties both reported 7 to 9 inches of snow, which was wet and heavy enough to bring down a lot of tree limbs. Power outages were widespread, and several roads were blocked. Snowfall amounts of 4 to 6 inches were common elsewhere to the north and west of Cape Girardeau, including Perryville, Greenville, Poplar Bluff, and Doniphan. Three to four inches fell from the Dexter/Bloomfield area to Benton in Scott County. Snowfall rates were quite heavy for a few hours, averaging an inch per hour. Only an inch or so fell in Mississippi and New Madrid Counties. Roads were snow-covered and slippery during the heavy snow, with numerous vehicles sliding off the roads. Temperatures rose above freezing soon after the snow ended, so treated main roads improved rather quickly later in the morning. Due to the heavy wet nature of the snow combining with wind gusts of 15 to 20 mph, significant power outages occurred across the Ozark foothills of southeast Missouri. There were over 75,000 customers without power across south central and southeast Missouri at its peak on the morning of January 25th. Numerous downed trees also occurred in these areas.

A powerful cold front swept through the region, with wind chills dropping to 20 to 30 below zero. These were the coldest wind chills observed in over 25 years across the region. Paducah, KY dropped down to a -21 wind chill, which was the coldest since February 3, 1996. The most extreme wind chills were from the evening of the 22nd to the morning of the 23rd, but wind chills as late as the morning of December 24th were often below minus 10. Actual air temperatures only reached the single digits above zero on the 23rd, which followed morning lows around 5 below. Peak wind gusts of 35 to 50 mph were observed during this event as well. The peak gust at Cape Girardeau was 44 mph on the evening of the 22nd. Some power outages were reported in Cape Girardeau, where a power line was down and a substation transformer caught fire. The extreme cold was indirectly responsible for a number of structure fires caused by supplemental heating sources, such as space heaters. There were numerous reports of frozen water pipes that burst and flooded homes and other buildings. In Cape Girardeau, an underground 6-inch water main burst, causing a loss of water pressure to a neighborhood. Another water main break occurred in Jackson. There were reports of frozen water meters in Cape Girardeau. On top of the extreme cold, one to three inches of snow fell. The highest amounts were generally along and south of a line from Van Buren in Carter County through Greenville in Wayne County to Benton in Scott County, where around 3 inches fell. Snowfall amounts elsewhere were from 1 to 2 inches. This snow and the accompanying flash freeze heavily impacted travel across the region. Despite relatively light traffic, there were numerous traffic mishaps. The Missouri Highway Patrol in southeast Missouri responded to 80 stranded motorists, 33 non-injury crashes, and 4 injury crashes during the winter storm.

Most of southeast Missouri received a winter storm, consisting of two periods of sleet and freezing rain. The winter storm area included all but the two Mississippi River counties bordering Kentucky. Within the winter storm area, a period of sleet and freezing rain occurred during the evening of the 23rd, followed by a more significant round of wintry precipitation on the 24th. Ice accumulations ranged from one-quarter to one-third inch, along with one-half to three-quarters inch of sleet. The precipitation on the 24th was accompanied by frequent thunder and lightning at times. Driving conditions were hazardous. Isolated power outages occurred due to tree damage from freezing rain accretion. Hundreds of customers were without power at the peak of the outages. Over the Kentucky border counties of New Madrid and Mississippi, there was only one round of impactful winter precipitation. This round occurred on the evening of the 23rd, causing travel hazards during the evening commute. The accumulations of sleet and freezing rain in these areas, including New Madrid, were generally below one-quarter inch. Temperatures on the 24th were just warm enough for little or no impact from the precipitation in this area. ||The wintry precipitation was caused by a moist southwest flow aloft, associated with a 500 mb trough over the western Plains. At the same time, surface high pressure advancing from the northern Plains produced a cold northerly surface wind. The cold low levels enabled the precipitation to stay freezing rain and sleet over most of southeast Missouri, but temperatures inched above freezing around New Madrid. The second round of precipitation on the 24th was enhanced by a low pressure center that tracked northeast across Tennessee.

A major winter storm dumped significant amounts of snow and sleet across southeast Missouri. Some freezing rain also occurred, mainly along the Mississippi River from New Madrid to Charleston. The highest snow amounts were northwest of a Poplar Bluff to Jackson (Cape Girardeau County) line, where most places reported 4 to 5 inches of mainly snow on a layer of sleet. Isolated amounts of 6 to 7 inches were reported in the Ozark foothills of Carter, Wayne, and western Perry Counties. A zone of heavy sleet occurred from Cape Girardeau through Poplar Bluff to Doniphan, where 2 to 3 inches of sleet and snow was common. In the Mississippi River counties south of Sikeston (Scott County), where precipitation was all sleet and freezing rain, one-tenth inch to one-quarter inch of ice was under about three-quarters inch of sleet. Widespread major travel impacts were reported across the region. Roads were covered with an icy mix that resulted in traffic accidents. Isolated power outages were reported in the areas of heavy sleet and freezing rain. A strong cold front moved slowly southeast across the lower Ohio Valley and southeast Missouri on February 2nd. Precipitation changed from rain to a mix of wintry precipitation in the afternoon and evening of the 2nd. Northwest of a Poplar Bluff to Cape Girardeau line, the cold air became deep enough for plenty of snow.

Light accumulations of ice glazed elevated surfaces, such as trees and power lines. Icing of up to one-tenth inch was measured on flat surfaces. There was little impact on travel. The ice was mainly from the Cape Girardeau area north and west. The precipitation occurred in association with a deep 500 mb and surface low that moved north-northeast across Texas into the Plains.

A low pressure system tracked east-northeast from the lower Mississippi Valley to the Carolinas. On the north side of this low, widespread sleet, snow, and freezing rain occurred on the afternoon and evening of the 15th. The highest snow accumulations were in the Perryville area, where 4 inches was measured. The snow was mixed with sleet. Elsewhere, one to three inches of snow and sleet was measured from Cape Girardeau County west across Bollinger County. Further south, the precipitation was mostly in the form of freezing rain from the Doniphan and Poplar Bluff areas east to New Madrid and Charleston. Nearly one-quarter inch of ice glazed trees and power lines in those areas. Because ground temperatures remained above freezing for much of the event, the main impact was on elevated surfaces such as trees. An isolated power outage was reported in southern Stoddard County.

A moist 500 mb shortwave trough tracked east from the Plains, causing a surface low pressure center to develop northeast from Texas to the central Appalachians. Widespread wintry precipitation occurred as colder air filtered south on the back side of the low. Around one-tenth of an inch of ice glazed surfaces across southeast Missouri. Near the onset of precipitation, a period of sleet was reported. Most of the precipitation fell in the form of freezing rain. Thunder and lightning accompanied the wintry precipitation during the evening hours. Automated observing stations at the Cape Girardeau and Poplar Bluff airports measured 0.13 and 0.08 inch of ice accretion, respectively. Most of the icing was on trees, power lines, and elevated surfaces during the precipitation. After the precipitation ended, temperatures fell through the 20's, causing icy spots to develop even on paved surfaces. On Interstate 57 northbound at the Mississippi River bridge, a vehicle slid into the bridge railing. One person was moderately injured. On U.S. Highway 60 in Stoddard County, one person was moderately injured when her vehicle overturned on the ice.

Up to one-quarter inch of ice accumulated on elevated surfaces, including trees and power lines. Ground surfaces were relatively warm following three days of high temperatures in the 60's and 70's. Therefore, impacts on travel were quite minor due to the melting on pavement. The area with the worst icing was around Perryville, where about one-quarter inch of ice glazed trees and power lines. Ice accumulations on elevated surfaces were about one-tenth of an inch from Cape Girardeau westward to the hilly terrain of Wayne and Carter Counties. From Sikeston south and east, most places received no ice. The freezing rain occurred north of a stationary front that extended from southern Arkansas to southern Tennessee. High pressure over the Upper Mississippi Valley produced a cold northeast wind flow at the surface.

A combination of heavy wet snow and strong winds during the morning hours produced major impacts in parts of southeast Missouri. From 4 to 7 inches of heavy wet snow fell in the Perryville area, including most of Perry County. The highest impacts were in Perry County, where widespread power outages knocked out power to 90 percent of Perryville. Sustained north winds ranged from 20 to 30 mph, with gusts to around 45 mph. Further south, from 1 to 3 inches of heavy wet snow fell as far south as a line from Cape Girardeau to Greenville in Wayne County. The snow fell heavily for a few hours, reducing visibility as low as one-quarter mile. Roads were very slick and hazardous. Dozens of cars slid off roads. Temperatures were from 32 to 34 degrees, which resulted in a heavy, wet snowfall. Specific snowfall amounts included 7 inches at Perryville, 3 inches at North Patton (in Bollinger County), 2.5 inches at Greenville (in Wayne County), and 1.5 inches on the west side of Cape Girardeau. The strongest winds occurred in the Poplar Bluff and Dexter areas, which were south of the accumulating snow. The peak wind gust at the Poplar Bluff airport was 46 mph. A trained spotter near Dudley in Stoddard County measured a sustained wind of 38 mph with a peak gust to 49 mph. This heavy precipitation and wind event was caused by a couple of weak surface lows that consolidated into a strong low pressure center over western Kentucky. At 500 mb, the phasing of a northern stream shortwave over the northern Plains with a moist southern stream shortwave over Texas resulted in a deep low over the Lower Ohio Valley. North and west of the low track, rain transitioned to snow very late at night and continued through the morning.

Over the Mississippi River delta counties from Cape Girardeau south, strong south winds ahead of a cold front gusted to around 50 mph. The cold front arced southeast from a low pressure center over the central Plains states. At the Cape Girardeau airport, the peak wind gust was 50 mph. A peak wind gust to 49 mph was measured in southern Mississippi County. At East Prairie in Mississippi County, a tree was uprooted and blown down on power lines and a vehicle.

South to southwesterly winds through a deep layer of the atmosphere brought copious amounts of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. A large low pressure system moved slowly north across the Plains. Ahead of an occluded front that arced from the low across the Ozarks, there were two rounds of heavy rain. The first round fell on the 16th, producing about 2.5 inches in the Poplar Bluff area. This saturated the ground ahead of the second round of more intense rain during the evening of the 17th. This round included a line of heavy showers and storms that dumped an inch of rain in 30 minutes. Storm totals for the two-day event were 3 to 5.5 inches. Just ahead of the occluded front, a couple hours of strong southerly winds gusting to around 45 mph produced isolated tree damage. Wind gusts were measured up to 46 mph along the Mississippi River northeast of New Madrid. In western Ripley County, a carport was damaged, and tree limbs fell on power lines.

A winter storm brought hazardous conditions to southeast Missouri. The precipitation type was primarily heavy sleet at the beginning of the storm, then freezing rain became the primary precipitation type. One-half to one inch of sleet accumulated rather quickly, followed by around one-quarter inch of ice. Roads became slick and very hazardous. Numerous accidents were reported. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported several dozen slide-offs or crashes in southeast Missouri. Interstate 55 southbound was closed near the 109 mile-marker in Cape Girardeau County due to a vehicle crash. In Dexter, a driver was injured when his car crashed into the side of a train. Isolated power outages occurred due to small branches falling on power lines. About 700 utility customers were without power in Stoddard County. A more widespread power outage affected Sikeston after a main line that ran into the city came down. In Dexter, there were two roof collapses due to the accumulated weight of snow and ice from successive February winter storms. A large part of the roof of a strip mall collapsed, and a gas station roof collapsed. The weight of snow and ice also brought down an awning of a gas station in Sikeston. Several east-to-west bands of light to locally moderate precipitation advanced slowly northward in response to the arrival of warm, moist air in the low levels. Strengthening of a southerly low level jet occurred ahead of a 500 mb shortwave impulse emerging out of the central Plains. Convective enhancement of precipitation rates was observed, including heavy thundersleet at Poplar Bluff and Greenville. After the precipitation changed to rain, the combination of snowmelt and rainfall produced localized street flooding.

Widespread thunderstorms, including a few severe thunderstorms, occurred during the evening hours. A powerful mid-level shortwave trough and its associated 70-80 knot jet streak translated from the southern high Plains into the upper Midwest. On the heels of this initial shortwave trough, a channeled vorticity maximum and attendant 70-knot jet streak progressed across the southern Plains into southwest Missouri. In association with these features, a 40 to 50 knot southerly low-level jet became established over the Mississippi Valley. During the evening, isolated severe storms occurred ahead of a cold front surging eastward across the Ozark Mountains. The strong supply of warm and moist air fueled heavy rainfall and some local flash flooding. Significant flood damage to roads was reported in Butler County.

South of a line from Poplar Bluff to Cape Girardeau, about one-quarter inch of ice coated trees and power lines. There was also up to an inch of sleet and snow at the onset of precipitation. Along and to the north of that line, snow and sleet accumulated from one to three inches, followed by less than one-quarter inch of ice. The snow fell heavily for a brief period of time, reducing visibility to one-quarter to one-half mile. Roads were reported to be slick and hazardous. Numerous accidents were reported, including several on Highway 25 in Stoddard County. A vigorous fast-moving Pacific storm system that originated off the Baja of California raced northeast. A strong warm front moved as far north as Arkansas. Widespread heavy precipitation north of the warm front resulted in significant icing across extreme southeast Missouri, and mainly snow and sleet north and west of Cape Girardeau.

A major winter storm produced primarily heavy snow and sleet. The precipitation changed from freezing rain to sleet and then to snow. The wintry precipitation slowly progressed southeast, starting about mid-morning at Perryville and reaching the Arkansas border counties late in the afternoon. The heaviest accumulations were along and northwest of a line from Jackson (Cape Girardeau County) to Dexter (Stoddard County), where 9 to 12 inches of snow fell. About 10 inches was reported in Poplar Bluff. The lowest accumulations were in the Mississippi Delta region south and southeast of Sikeston, where sleet and freezing rain restricted amounts to 2 to 4 inches. Cape Girardeau measured about 6 inches. Before the changeover to snow, there was about one-quarter inch of glazing from freezing rain, along with one-half to one inch of sleet. Isolated power outages were reported. Once precipitation changed to snow, it fell heavily. A trained spotter in Stoddard County reported 5 inches fell in four hours. In all areas, roads became very slick and hazardous as temperatures dropped through the 20's. Numerous accidents were reported. An arctic cold front swept east across the region, bringing much colder air. As the depth of the cold air increased behind the front, precipitation changed from freezing rain to sleet and then snow. A pair of disturbances in the upper levels of the atmosphere moved northeast across the region, causing wintry precipitation to become heavy at times.

A low pressure system moved slowly northeast from the southern Plains into western Missouri. A warm front extending east from the low pressure center lifted north across the Tennessee Valley. A large area of wintry precipitation developed ahead of the warm front. Damaging ice accumulations from one-quarter to one-half inch brought down tree limbs over most of southeast Missouri. The extreme southeast counties of New Madrid and Mississippi received only a trace to a tenth of an inch of ice, which accumulated mostly on elevated surfaces and lesser travelled roads. Short bursts of heavy sleet and freezing rain occurred in thunderstorms. The heaviest ice accumulations and most widespread power outages occurred along and west of a line from Dexter (in Stoddard County) to Marble Hill (in Bollinger County). Roads were slick and very hazardous to the north and west of Sikeston in Scott County. Around Neelyville in Butler County, electrical transformers were exploding, and 15 to 20 foot tall trees were bending toward the ground. On the north side of Cape Girardeau, tree branches several inches in diameter were brought down. Accidents were reported on Interstate 55 in Cape Girardeau County.

Accumulating snow fell across most of southeast Missouri except for the extreme southeast counties of New Madrid and Mississippi. The Perryville area received the highest amounts, from 5 to 6 inches. In the area of heaviest snow, snowfall rates were from 1 to 2 inches per hour. Specific snowfall amounts included: 3 inches in Cape Girardeau and 2.5 inches seven miles northwest of Poplar Bluff. Roads were snow-covered and hazardous. The wet, heavy snow coated trees and power lines. The precipitation began as a period of rain and sleet, especially from Poplar Bluff to Sikeston and points south. A compact and strong upper-level disturbance moved rapidly east-northeast from Oklahoma. Precipitation rates increased ahead of this disturbance. Very weak instability in the mid-levels of the atmosphere enhanced snowfall rates, with embedded bands of heavy snow. Due to the quick progression of the system, the duration of heavy snow was no more than two to three hours at any given location.

Near-blizzard conditions affected a large part of southeast Missouri. Total snowfall amounts were generally from 4 to 9 inches, except only 2 or 3 inches from Marble Hill to Perryville and points northwest. For an hour or two, visibility dropped to one-quarter mile in heavy snow, and winds gusted from 35 to 45 mph. The wet, heavy consistency of the snow minimized drifting and blowing of the snow. Some drifts of two to three feet were reported. The snow fell at a very heavy rate in localized bands, in some cases accompanied by thunder and lightning. Snowfall rates in the heaviest bands were from two to three inches per hour. Road conditions were snow-covered and hazardous. Snow plows were able to keep one lane passable on most major highways. Isolated power outages occurred due to the combination of strong winds and heavy wet snow on power lines. A surface low pressure center moved northeast across Middle Tennessee. Strong winds and colder air on the northwest side of the low created a dangerous winter storm.

A strong low pressure system tracked northeast across the St. Louis area into northern Illinois. Strong west winds developed behind a cold front that swept across southeast Missouri. West winds were sustained from 20 to 35 mph, with frequent gusts from 45 to 55 mph. Measured peak wind gusts included: 49 mph at the Cape Girardeau airport and the Doniphan fire weather site, and 48 mph at the Poplar Bluff airport. An unofficial wind gust of 58 mph was measured in Doniphan. Shingles were blown off a roof in Bernie in Stoddard County. Some minor tree damage was reported at scattered locations. Power outages were caused by tree limbs on power lines in East Prairie in Mississippi County.

A low pressure system tracked eastward across western Tennessee. A warm front lifted northward ahead of this system, causing freezing rain. Less than one-tenth inch of glaze formed on most surfaces, including trees and power lines. The main impact was on travel. Roads became extremely hazardous due to ice. Many schools were closed. The greatest impact was along and south of a line from Sikeston (Scott County) to Van Buren (Carter County), where light freezing rain during the midday hours immediately coated roads with ice. In Stoddard County, one person was injured when her vehicle crashed and overturned on U.S. Highway 60 about a mile east of Dexter. Three other accidents in Stoddard County resulted in one injury apiece. Two of the accidents were on U.S. Highway 60, and the other was on Missouri Highway 25. One of the injuries was serious. In Butler County, one person was injured in a wreck on a bridge on Highway B. Highway PP was closed west of Poplar Bluff when more than a dozen vehicles ended up in ditches, including a state salt truck. Vehicles could not make it up a hill on Highway PP. A police cruiser slid into a ditch on Highway PP. Near Canalou in New Madrid County, there were roll-over accidents due to ice on Highway H. Dozens of cars slid off U.S. Highway 60 between Poplar Bluff and Ellsinore. Perry County sheriff dispatchers reported a very high number of accidents. From Cape Girardeau to Marble Hill, temperatures rose to around freezing about the time the precipitation began. This resulted in less serious travel problems from Cape Girardeau to Marble Hill.

A powerful low pressure system moved northeast across central Illinois. Damaging southwest winds occurred during the day as solar heating warmed the lower atmosphere. A peak wind gust of 58 mph was measured at a television station in Cape Girardeau. Where the January 27 ice storm left weakened and hanging tree limbs, the wind caused another round of power outages. Ice storm power restoration efforts were set back slightly. Additional tree limbs and power lines were brought down. In Scott County, a 12,000-volt power line came down across Interstate 55 at Highway 77 near Benton. Power poles were down in Mississippi County. Most of Sikeston lost power when a 69,000-volt line went down. The vast majority of customers had power restored by the end of the day.

This prolonged, major winter storm was termed the worst in decades for southeast Missouri. The storm dumped 6 to 10 inches of sleet and snow along and north of a line from Van Buren through Greenville to Cape Girardeau. This resulted in very difficult driving conditions along with at least two dozen roof collapses. South of that line, at least one inch of ice accumulated. Locally 1.5 to 2 inches of ice accumulated south of a line from Poplar Bluff to Dexter to Benton. This resulted in catastrophic damage to trees, power lines, and utility poles in places such as Dexter, Sikeston, Charleston, and New Madrid. A utility company serving much of the region reported this was the most damaging event in the history of the company. More than 145 miles of high-voltage transmission lines were down in that company's area alone. A utility manager stated that ice accumulation made high voltage lines five inches in diameter. This was sufficient to bring down the two-pole structures with crossarms that carry transmission lines. At least 6,000 power poles in southeast Missouri were replaced after being snapped or downed. One utility company briefed the governor that restoration of its facilities would cost 80 million dollars. Nearly 100 percent of residents lost power. Power was restored to most residents of cities and larger towns in 5 to 9 days, but the last rural residents went three weeks without power. Both cell and landline phone services were out for a few days in many places. Downed trees and limbs blocked numerous roads. Thirteen state roads were closed one week after the storm. Tree limbs landed on vehicles and punctured some house roofs. In the hardest hit areas from Charleston to Sikeston to Dexter, very few trees were not damaged. A few fatalities were indirectly caused by the storm. In New Madrid County, a woman and her teenage daughter died of apparent carbon monoxide poisoning from a gas-powered generator in the garage. In Advance, a 78-year-old man perished in a house fire likely started by an alternative heat or light source. No accurate count of storm-related injuries was maintained. However, Scott County alone recorded 20 cases of serious carbon monoxide poisoning. Scott County reported one person very seriously injured while clearing debris. A number of people throughout the region were injured in slips and falls. The National Guard assisted local and state agencies with recovery efforts, including door-to-door welfare checks in rural areas. Emergency shelters were opened for those without heat. Water supplies were interrupted in some towns where water towers could not be replenished by pumps. Gas was difficult to find for a few days due to a combination of power outages and high demand. A dusk-to-dawn curfew was imposed for a few days in some cities, including Dexter and Sikeston. Some structure fires were sparked by alternative heating, lighting, and cooking devices. Numerous traffic accidents occurred during the first several hours of the storm, sending several people to medical clinics. An aluminum plant in New Madrid suffered severe damage when the aluminum being processed cooled due to the power outage. Production was reduced by 75 percent, and full production was not expected to resume for up to a year.||Heavy snow and sleet were the main precipitation types north and west of a line from Poplar Bluff to Cape Girardeau. The weight of the sleet and snow caused at least two dozen building collapses. In Wayne County, several buildings collapsed under the weight of the sleet and snow. A mill building collapsed near Patterson. Serious damage occurred at a marina near Clearwater Dam, where two boats were damaged. At Piedmont, a portion of a manufacturing warehouse and a law office building both collapsed. Elsewhere in Wayne County, a house and a storage building collapsed. Several metal buildings and carports collapsed in northern Stoddard County. In Cape Girardeau, the roof of a manufacturing company collapsed, and a large awning took down parts of the brick facade of a commercial building. Six to eight other buildings in Cape Girardeau County collapsed. No injuries were reported, but some animals were lost under a collapsed barn. A number of roofs caved in across Perry County, Carter County, and northern Scott County. A pallet mill and a manufacturing company sustained heavy losses in Carter County. The majority of structures damaged or destroyed in Carter County were metal buildings, barns, and sheds. In Carter County, National Guard troops assisted local first responders in distributing water and MRE's to those stranded in their houses. Law enforcement officials were forced to patrol in their personal four-wheel drive vehicles, since roads were not passable to cars. Phone service was disrupted in some areas.||An area of low pressure formed along the Gulf Coast, then tracked slowly east-northeast. High pressure remained anchored west of the Great Lakes, keeping a cold northeast wind flow in place in the lowest levels of the atmosphere. Copious amounts of moisture moved up from the southwest and overrode the cold air in the low levels. This moisture interacted with a couple of disturbances in the upper levels of the atmosphere moving from west to east across the region.

Light accumulations of ice formed on elevated surfaces, including vehicles and highway overpasses. On Interstate 55 near Scott City, a multi-vehicle pileup caused both sides of the highway to be shut down. There were some injuries, though their severity was not known. In Cape Girardeau, twelve accidents occurred. Most of the wrecks were on Interstate 55. An accident on the Cape Girardeau side of the Mississippi River bridge resulted in injuries. In Carter County, an icy bridge over Carter Creek on U.S. Highway 60 resulted in serious injuries to an elderly man. A spotter reported one-eighth inch of ice was on trees and power lines several miles northwest of Poplar Bluff. A low pressure system skirted just southeast of the region, bringing a wintry mix of precipitation.

Frequent wind gusts from 60 to 75 mph caused widespread damage in parts of southeast Missouri. The low pressure center that was the remnant of Hurricane Ike raced northeast at 40 to 50 mph across Missouri and Illinois. The center passed between Carbondale and St. Louis on its way toward the northeastern states. The rapid speed of the low pressure system contributed to this high wind event.||Extensive tree damage occurred. A very large number of trees were uprooted, and large limbs were broken. Some trees fell on homes, businesses, and public buildings. Downed trees and limbs landed on many vehicles. Numerous streets and highways were blocked. More than half the streets in some cities were blocked by downed trees and power lines. The Butler County highway superintendant estimated 60 trees were down across roads. In Mississippi County, Charleston city public works crews hauled 321 truckloads of tree debris to a compost site within 10 days after the storm. Cape Girardeau firefighters responded to nearly 80 calls, up from the usual 8 to 10 per day. Roof and siding damage was reported on numerous structures. Two walls of a public civic center under construction were brought down in Dexter. Sections of roof were blown off a number of buildings, including a hotel in Piedmont (in Wayne Co.) and an apartment building and utility building in New Madrid. Some windows were broken out of homes and businesses, especially in New Madrid and Mississippi Counties. A dugout was destroyed in East Prairie. A small shed was blown over near Friedheim in Cape Girardeau County, and two roofs were blown off metal trailers at Fruitland. The communications tower for the Dexter Police Department was blown down. A church building in Matthews (New Madrid Co.) lost its steeple. One man was injured near Broseley in Butler County when a huge oak tree crashed into his bedroom while he was sleeping. The man was hit in the head by a 2-by-4 and inhaled some insulation. He was treated and released by a local hospital. His house sustained cracks in the walls and foundation, among other major structural damage. Near Poplar Bluff, a man and woman were extricated from their mobile home after a tree crashed into it. Both were pinned in their bed for about 30 minutes. Damage to utility poles and lines was comparable to the February ice storm disaster. A spokesman for a utility company serving the Ozark foothills (including Poplar Bluff) initially estimated 75 percent of its customers lost power. Power was restored to most places within a few days. Some of the hardest hit areas were in Mississippi County, including Charleston and East Prairie. Because pumps were disabled by the power outage, East Prairie water supplies ran very low. Two water towers became empty, and the third was down to a foot of water. Schools were cancelled for two to three days due to power outages in some cities, such as Charleston. Large signs were blown down across the region, including at least one on Interstate 55. A wind gust to 75 mph was measured at Doniphan in Ripley County by the emergency management director. The 75 mph gust occurred shortly after a wind shift to the north. Prior to the wind shift, gusts to 58 mph occurred from the south. The peak wind gust measured at the Poplar Bluff airport was 66 mph. A wind gust to 60 mph was measured at the Sikeston Power Plant. The peak gust measured at the Cape Girardeau airport was 56 mph before a power failure occurred. A tow boat captain on the Mississippi River reportedly measured a gust to 87 mph, but the details of the time and location could not be confirmed. Some crops were damaged. Lots of pecans and walnuts were blown off trees. Corn and cotton crops were flattened in some places. Preliminary estimates of lost corn yield ranged from 20 to 30 bushels per acre. A few minor fires were sparked by damaged electrical lines.

A strong low pressure system tracked east-northeast across central Illinois during the morning. Strong west winds developed in the wake of a strong cold front that raced eastward across the Lower Ohio and Mid Mississippi Valleys. Peak wind gusts were 53 mph at Cape Girardeau and 43 mph at Poplar Bluff. Some trees were blown down. In Poplar Bluff, a huge oak tree landed on a house. Tree limbs ripped through a bedroom ceiling. Another tree about 3 feet in diameter landed on a street. In Dexter, a large hickory tree almost a century old narrowly missed a house. Sporadic power outages were reported in Carter and Wayne Counties.

A strong low pressure system moved from Texas northeast across western Kentucky. Northwest of the storm track, colder air resulted in freezing rain and some sleet over parts of southeast Missouri and southern Illinois. The heaviest ice accumulations were from Perry County, Illinois southwest into Bollinger and Cape Girardeau Counties in southeast Missouri. Most schools were closed. Downed tree limbs and power outages were reported. About 7,000 homes and businesses lost power in the Perryville area and northern Cape Girardeau County. Power was restored within three days. Average ice accumulations were from one-quarter to one-half inch thick on trees and power lines. A narrow band of heavy snow affected the Ozark foothills of southeast Missouri. Carter County and much of Wayne County received 5 to 12 inches of snow in heavy snow bands that occurred in the deformation zone on the west side of the upper level low. Twelve inches of snow was reported about a mile north of the Carter County line. Eight to twelve inches was reported in Van Buren (Carter County), and 6 inches fell in Piedmont (Wayne County).

Low pressure organized over Louisiana, spreading precipitation northeast along a warm front that extended into the Ohio Valley. Arctic high pressure over the Great Lakes region produced a cold northeast wind flow near the surface. This shallow cold air was responsible for freezing rain. Although this was the second ice storm in only ten days, ice accumulations were less serious than the crippling ice storm on February 11. One-quarter to one-half inch of ice accumulated across most of southeast Missouri. The main exception was north of Cape Girardeau County, where up to 2.5 inches of sleet fell, and freezing rain coated surfaces with less than a quarter inch of ice. Thunder accompanied the freezing rain in the Poplar Bluff area. Many schools and businesses were closed for this second round of ice. A rash of traffic accidents occurred, including 22 in the city of Cape Girardeau. A couple of people sustained minor injuries in wrecks in Perry County. A very small number of short-lived power outages occurred. The main effect of this winter storm was to slow down cleanup efforts following the major ice storm on Feb. 11.

Strong south winds gusted to near 50 mph. The peak wind gust was 49 mph at Poplar Bluff and 48 mph at Cape Girardeau. The strong winds occurred in advance of a strong cold front that moved across southern Illinois during the late afternoon. The strong winds brought down some tree limbs that were laden with ice from the February 11 ice storm. This caused a setback in efforts to restore power following the ice storm.

Low pressure developed over the southern Plains, spreading widespread heavy precipitation across southeast Missouri. At the same time, high pressure over the upper Ohio Valley produced a cold easterly wind flow. The result was a crippling ice storm. Around one inch of ice caused extensive damage across much of southeast Missouri. The hardest hit areas extended from Greenville (Wayne County) through Marble Hill (Bollinger County) to Jackson (Cape Girardeau County). North of a Marble Hill to Jackson line, four to six inches of sleet and snow fell, along with up to one-half inch of freezing rain. Thunder accompanied the wintry precipitation at times. Numerous trees and power lines were brought down, knocking out power to many thousands of homes. Falling tree limbs damaged dozens of residences, including at least five in Bollinger County. Power outages lasted up to a week. Recovery efforts were hampered by a large number of trees blocking roads, especially in rural areas of Wayne, Bollinger, and Cape Girardeau Counties. The National Guard was activated to deliver food and water and conduct door-to-door welfare checks in Cape Girardeau and Bollinger Counties. Emergency shelters were established for those without power for extended periods. On one night, a total of 71 people stayed in three shelters in Marble Hill, Jackson, and Cape Girardeau. The governor requested federal disaster assistance for Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Butler, Scott, Stoddard, and Wayne Counties. Removal of tree debris took several weeks of effort in the hardest-hit areas, such as the city of Jackson. Damage to public property in Jackson was estimated at 1.2 million dollars, considerably higher than the May, 2003 tornado. More than 50 utility poles buckled and snapped in Jackson. In Cape Girardeau, a 200-year-old tree was destroyed. Numerous vehicle accidents were reported. The Missouri Highway Patrol reported 35 to 40 collisions in southeast Missouri, not including motorists who slid off the roads.

A powerful cold front moved rapidly southeast across southeast Missouri during the late afternoon hours. The temperature dropped 38 degrees between 4 and 8 P.M. in Cape Girardeau. An organized line of severe thunderstorms developed along the front as it crossed southeast Missouri. Widespread damaging winds accompanied the line of storms by the time they reached the Mississippi River.

A brief period of high winds followed in the wake of a cold front passage. Wind gusts were measured up to 61 mph at the Poplar Bluff airport, 60 mph at Doniphan in Ripley County, and 62 mph at the Cape Girardeau airport. In Qulin, the roof and wall was blown off a vacant gas station. A portable building in Qulin was rolled into a mobile home. In Poplar Bluff, four power poles were snapped, and at least 21 trees were downed. Many homes lost shingles. At the Dexter airport in Stoddard County, a number of planes were blown around and damaged. Over a dozen planes received major damage, and about 33 of 36 hangars were damaged. Some hangars were destroyed. The roof of the airport restaurant was blown off. A concrete block building used to repair aircraft was demolished. Considerable roof damage occurred to homes and businesses across the Dexter area. Numerous trees were down in Bloomfield, and a few landed on vehicles and houses. A window was blown out of the courthouse in Bloomfield. A communications tower was blown down. In Bollinger County, the roof was blown off a barn in Grassy. Countywide, there were numerous downed trees and power lines in Carter County. Several roofs sustained shingle damage. In Wayne County, trees were down across Highways 34, 49, A, E, and FF.

A couple of hours of strong, gusty winds were associated with the remnants of dissipating Tropical Storm Rita. About 5,400 utility customers lost power for up to 13 hours. About 70 separate outages were reported, mostly due to trees falling on power lines. The peak wind gust at the Cape Girardeau Airport was 41 MPH.

Widespread wind damage occurred across several counties in southeast Missouri, consisting mostly of downed trees. Lots of trees were down across Butler County and in the city of Poplar Bluff. In Ripley County, a large tree fell on an 18-wheeler on K Highway about 10 miles north of Doniphan. Numerous trees were blown down in Stoddard County in the communities of Advance, Puxico, and Bernie. In Wayne County, damage was most notable south of Patterson, where several power poles were broken, and numerous trees and limbs fell on power lines. In Perry County, about a dozen trees and limbs were down in the city of Perryville. Damage was extensive in the city of New Madrid, where numerous trees were down and four power poles were snapped, causing widespread power outages. In nearby Portageville, trees and power lines were down, including a couple of trees on buildings. In Scott County, fallen trees damaged several residences in Chaffee, and many trees were down in Sikeston, including some on roads. In Cape Girardeau County, trees were down in Jackson, Millersville, and Cape Girardeau due to estimated winds as high as 65 MPH. Several trees were down in Big Oak Tree State Park in Mississippi County. The wind damage across southeast Missouri was the result of a large complex of thunderstorms that arrived from the west. The storms were initially cellular as they crossed Carter, Wayne, and Bollinger Counties, then evolved into a line as they approached the Mississippi River.

The areas of southeast Missouri hardest hit by this ice storm were north and west of Cape Girardeau, including Perryville, where around one half inch of ice glazed surfaces. Numerous vehicle wrecks occurred, including two fatalities in the Perryville area. Officials in Bollinger County reported eight traffic crashes, none with serious injuries. Sporadic power outages were reported in Bollinger County, none lasting more than two or three hours. About one quarter inch of ice was observed as far south as a line from Greenville (Wayne County) to Cape Girardeau. The ice tended to be mostly on trees and power lines in the more southern areas. Some ice-laden tree limbs and power lines were brought down. About 1,100 customers were without power due to 21 separate outages in the city of Cape Girardeau. The public works department in Cape Girardeau reported six streets needed to be cleared of fallen limbs. Schools were closed in Greenville the day after the ice storm, which occurred on a Sunday.

Gusty south winds of 40 to 50 MPH across southeast Missouri brought down some tree limbs and trees. A 5-foot diameter tree, estimated to be 100 feet tall, was blown down in Sikeston. Sikeston public works employees cleaned up over a dozen fallen trees. Peak wind gusts at the Cape Girardeau Airport were measured at 44 MPH. At Poplar Bluff, the strong winds caused extensive power outages that left about half the city without power. A severed power line created a small grass fire in Poplar Bluff. A sign was blown over onto a parked truck. A few trees and power lines were blown down in the city of Cape Girardeau.

A major winter storm brought significant snow and ice accumulations to all of southeast Missouri. The precipitation type ranged from mostly freezing rain near the Kentucky border to mostly snow west and north of Cape Girardeau. Ice accumulations were close to one inch in the Kentucky border counties, causing numerous power outages and downed tree limbs. Further north, places from Cape Girardeau to Poplar Bluff received several inches of snow, topped by around one half inch of ice accumulation. Eight to ten inches of snow fell in Wayne and Bollinger Counties, where the precipitation was almost entirely snow. Travel was heavily impacted by the winter storm. Numerous vehicle accidents occurred. In the Kentucky border area, including New Madrid, power was not fully restored for three or four days. Schools were closed for the remainder of the week. The winter storm began during the early morning hours and ended late the following night.

Severe thunderstorms downed numerous trees and power lines in the city of Cape Girardeau, and dime-size hail fell at Fruitland.

Several hours of moderate to heavy sleet and freezing rain occurred, sometimes accompanied by thunder and lightning. The sleet accumulated to a depth of one inch. Freezing rain glazed some surfaces, mainly trees and power lines, with up to one quarter inch of ice. There were numerous school closings on the day following the storm. The liquid equivalent of the precipitation was just under an inch.

A major winter storm produced 2 to 6 inches of snow across southeast Missouri, followed by 1/4 to 1/2 inch of ice. The snow began shortly before sunrise, falling at rates near one inch per hour. Snow accumulations before the changeover to ice ranged from just an inch or two at New Madrid up to 6 inches at Perryville. By midday, the snow changed to freezing rain after a brief period of sleet. Light to occasionally moderate freezing rain fell during the afternoon and early evening hours. The heavy precipitation was caused by a strong upper level disturbance that tracked east-northeast from the southern Rockies, across the southern Plains, and then over the lower Mississippi Valley. A strong southerly flow of milder air just above ground level was unable to scour out very cold air right at the surface, which produced an extended period of snow and ice. The liquid equivalent of all the frozen and freezing precipitation was between three quarters of an inch and one inch. Numerous accidents occurred, most of which were minor. Most schools were closed by the storm. Ice on trees and power lines contributed to scattered power outages, mainly east of the Poplar Bluff area.

Strong gusty west winds in the wake of a cold front caused scattered reports of minor wind damage. Gusts across the region were around 50 MPH. There were several reports of downed power lines and trees. A tree landed on a home in Sikeston, causing minor damage.