A winter storm dumped as much as 2.5 inches of snow across Southeast Missouri on Monday ahead of arctic temperatures that were forecast to put the region in a deep freeze through Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.

Several bands of snow moved across the area Monday, with the first occurring around morning rush hour, making for a messy commute.

Highway crews were kept busy salting and clearing roads.

Scattered traffic accidents were reported in Cape Girardeau. Cape Girardeau police Sgt. Rick Schmidt said the winter precipitation made roads slick.

Cape Girardeau city crews started plowing and salting streets around 8:30 a.m., said assistant public works director Stan Polivick.

Public schools and government offices were closed Monday for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Polivick said the holiday "kept some cars" off the streets.

Most of the snow had moved through the region by midafternoon. But Kevin Smith, forecaster with the National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky, said temperatures were forecast to plummet from daytime highs of around 30 degrees to single digits by midnight.

The area is expected to be hit with wind chills of near or below zero by this morning, with winds from the northwest at 10 to 20 mph, Smith said.

The Weather Service has issued a windchill advisory for Perry County where the feel-like temperature could dip to minus-10 degrees, he said.

Today's high is likely to be in the teens, with temperatures expected to fall to single digits tonight, Smith said.

"If you don't have to be out, it would be a good time to stay in," he said.

Wet roads can quickly ice up, Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) officials said.

Stan Johnson, district maintenance engineer with MoDOT, said, "We suggest that drivers slow down, pay attention and watch where they are driving. We just want people to be safe." Johnson said sunshine would help with clearing roads.

"A 20-degree sunny day will do more for the roads than a 32-degree day with clouds," he said.

"The surface temperature of the roads is more important than the atmosphere temperature," Johnson said. "A good sunny day will help us out a lot."

Warmer weather will move into the area later this week, according to the Weather Service.

Friday's high is expected to be in the mid-40s, and Saturday's is forecast to climb into the 50s as winds move in from the south, said the Weather Service's Smith.

"People will have a chance to thaw out a little bit," he said.

Julie Pruitt contributed to this story for the Southeast Missourian.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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