FRIGID AIR FOLLOWS MAJOR SNOWSTORM

The coldest temperatures so far this winter, and perhaps the coldest in more than five years, were forecast this morning. The arctic blast arrives in the wake of the second major snowstorm of the season that dumped 8-10 inches of snow on Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois and Western Kentucky on Sunday.

The National Weather Service said lows this morning in the Cape Girardeau area were expected to range from zero to 10 below, as another Siberian Express speeds through the Midwest and eastern United States. Highs in the Cape Girardeau area today were not expected to go above 15 degrees.

In northern Missouri, lows were expected to drop to as low as 20 below by early today. In parts of Iowa, record lows of 20 to 30 below were forecast this morning.

The last time the temperature was below zero was on Feb. 18, 1993, when it dropped to minus 2 degrees at the airport.

In late December 1989, three consecutive record low temperatures were set at Cape Girardeau: minus 7 degrees on Dec. 21; minus 11 degrees, on Dec. 22; and minus 9 degrees on Dec. 23.

This latest blast of frigid, polar air reinforced an outbreak of arctic air that sent temperatures plunging to 3 above zero at the Cape Girardeau airport on Saturday and Sunday.

The record low for today at Cape Girardeau is minus 1 (1977) and was expected to be easily surpassed this morning. The record low for Wednesday is minus 8, set in 1984.

This outbreak of bitter cold follows a weekend storm that dumped up to 8 inches of snow on top of a layer of sleet and ice, causing a rash of motor vehicle accidents Sunday afternoon.

Slick roads were blamed for a traffic accident on Interstate 55 south of Nash Road Monday night. Traffic was tied up nearly two hours. No one was injured.

Mid-Missouri Weather at the Cape Girardeau airport reported six inches of snow fell on top of a one-inch thick layer of sleet. At Malden, 8.5 inches was reported. Six inches fell at St. Louis, and three inches at Hannibal. At Paducah, Ky., over 10 inches was measured at the city's airport. Snow depths of 8-11 inches were reported though much of Western Kentucky. All roads and highways in Western Kentucky were reported snowpacked Monday afternoon.

Illinois State Police and the Missouri Highway Patrol reported Monday afternoon that most highways and secondary roads were still ice-covered and hazardous. Because of the bitter cold air, little improvement was expected today, and officials are discouraging unnecessary day or night traffic.

The precipitation began at the Cape Girardeau airport around 11 a.m. Sunday, first as sleet. It continued most of the afternoon, before finally changing over to snow around 6:23 p.m. Sunday. The heaviest snowfall ended around 5 a.m. Monday.

In the Missouri Bootheel, a cold rain froze on contact with trees and utility wires, causing electrical outages and some businesses shut down. The Pemiscot-Dunklin County Electric Cooperative, which serves the two counties, reported 80 percent of its service area was without power early Monday morning.

A spokesman for Union Electric in Cape Girardeau said they had no reports of any outages in this area.

On Sunday, authorities reported all roads and highways in eastern Missouri were covered with sleet and ice, making driving extremely treacherous. By Monday morning, 7-8 inches of snow covered the ice, making driving even more dangerous.

With many Missourians off work and most schools closed Monday for the Martin Luther King holiday, authorities said traffic problems were not as bad as they would have been on a normal Monday morning.

At the Missouri Veterans Home, four workers spent the night at the home because the roads were too dangerous.

"We slept on the kitchen floor," said Kay Baker, who works in the dietary department at the home, located near the intersection of the Interstate 55 and Route 61.

Baker, of Jackson; Carolyn Dodds of Zalma; Betty Meyers of Oak Ridge; and Tom Revell, Millersville -- all dietary department workers -- had the 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. shift.

"By the time we were ready to leave, the roads were hazardous," said Baker. "We gathered up some blankets and slept in the kitchen."

The quartet was up early to prepare breakfast for the veterans.

"Some of the workers who usually come at 4 a.m. couldn't make it," said Baker. "The veterans here like their morning meal, so we prepared breakfast."

Some schools, especially those with bus routes on hilly, rural roads, have canceled classes today, including Cape Girardeau public schools, Cape Girardeau parochial schools, and the Jackson and Oak Ridge school districts.

Jackson School Superintendent Wayne Maupin said a decision on when school will reopen depends on how soon it's safe for the school buses to travel over the roads. "If we don't get some warmer weather to melt this ice, it may be next week before we reopen," said Maupin.

Cape Girardeau Public Works Director Kevin McMeel said street crews began working at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. At 10:30 a.m., Monday, McMeel said the department was nowhere near to catching up.

Said McMeel "There are still secondary streets in some parts of town that have not been bladed. We'd like to get as much of it done as possible before this cold weather hits. With the very cold temperatures, there won't be a lot of melting on Tuesday. The materials we use do not melt the ice very well when the temperature drops below 20 degrees.

"If you don't have to get out today, my advice is to stay home and stay off the streets until some of this stuff starts to melt."

Cape Girardeau County Commissioner Larry Bock said county highway crews began working at 6 a.m. Monday to clear some of the snow off the major county roads. He said, "Hopefully, the wind will not cause more drifting, especially on the east-west roads that pass through deep cuts.

"I would urge anyone who does not have to get out, to stay off the rural roads. Even though they may be plowed, they will be snowpacked and very slick. If you slide off one of these roads at night into a snowbank or ditch -- with these very cold temperatures -- it could create a dangerous, life-threatening situation."