Winter weather advisory issued for New Madrid, Mississippi and Stoddard counties

SIKESTON — A winter weather advisory is in effect early Sunday through Monday in portions of western Kentucky and southeast Missouri including New Madrid, Mississippi and Stoddard Counties.

A winter weather advisory is in effect from 2 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 5 through 6 a.m. Monday, Jan. 6 in Ripley, Butler, Stoddard and New Madrid counties including the cities of New Madrid, Bloomfield, Charleston, Poplar Bluff and Doniphan, according to the National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky.

Mixed precipitation is expected. Total snow and sleet accumulations up to one half inch and ice accumulations up to one quarter of an inch through Sunday morning. The heavier totals in the advisory area are expected to be along a line from Poplar Bluff through Paducah to Greenville, Kentucky. Following an afternoon transition to rain, precipitation changes over to freezing drizzle Sunday night, with one last changeover to snow late in the night.

Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous. Power outages and tree damage are likely due to the ice, the Weather Service said.Travel could be nearly impossible. Freezing drizzle Sunday night will be most hazardous on otherwise cleared surfaces and may present as black ice.

An arctic blast will arrive Monday and last through most of the week. Wind chill values will drop into the single digits or below zero at times, which can be even more dangerous with any long duration power outages.

The Weather Service said to slow down and use caution while traveling. The latest road conditions can be obtained by visiting www.weather.gov/pah/roads

“Be prepared for slippery roads,” the Weather Service said. “Slow down and use caution while driving. If you are going outside, watch your first few steps taken on stairs, sidewalks, and driveways. These surfaces could be icy and slippery, increasing your risk of a fall and injury.”