Winter Storm Thor recap

A scene at Lilbourn City Park.

While Thursday afternoon finally brought sunshine to the Bootheel, below-freezing temperatures prevented much of the overnight snow from melting, and a hard freeze Thursday night into Friday refroze slushy side streets that had yet to be cleared. Black ice was also reported. Winter Storm Thor broke the all-time, two-day snow record in parts of Kentucky, with up to 20 inches.

Winter Storm Thor also made travel treacherous along parts of I-55 in southeast Missouri, on Wednesday night and through Thursday. Ronnie Adams, Jr., Emergency Management Director for the City of Portageville, said, "The fire department as called out to assist stranded motorist Wednesday evening. The Livingstone Baptist Church offered to open up their building as a warming center for the stranded motorists. Fortunately, there were only eight. We were expecting a whole lot more." The First Baptist Church was also on standby, if needed as a warming center, Adams said.

A wrecker operator was hit by an 18-wheel truck at the 14.4 mile marker in the northbound lanes, and the driver had to be flown from the scene with injuries. Another crash in the southbound lanes of I-55, a half-mile north of Steele, sent an Iowa woman to the Elvis Presley Trauma Center, in Memphis, with serious injuries. The Pemiscot County Sheriff's Office reported that northbound lanes were also backed up near the 19 mile marker, after crashes involving four semi trucks. Pemiscot County officials estimated the area received an average of eight to 10 inches, with some reports in Caruthersville and Hayti of as much as a foot of snow. (Some information provided by the Daily Dunklin Democrat.)

Briley Weddington, of Portageville, is pictured with her snowman.

Snowgirl, submitted by Stephanie Ivie.