City of Columbia monitoring for chance of winter weather beginning Jan. 25

The City of Columbia is monitoring and preparing to respond to winter weather that could impact the mid-Missouri area beginning Wednesday, Jan. 25. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a winter weather advisory beginning Tuesday, Jan. 24, and expected to remain in place through 6 p.m. Wednesday. Snow is expected with accumulations somewhere between 1 and 3 inches.

City resources will be utilized to ensure the safety and well-being of our community. The Public Works department is prepping snowplows, materials and equipment; monitoring local, state and regional forecasts; and preparing a response plan. City of Columbia Utilities will have additional crews on standby for the potential of downed power lines. The strong winds and weight of snow and ice on power lines and tree limbs could cause sporadic power outages.

City of Columbia Utilities also recognizes the potential for water main breaks because of low temperatures that are forecast. In the case of a water main break occurring, crews are on standby and will work to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Customers who come under a precautionary boil advisory will receive a hang tag.

As winter weather can be unpredictable, residents are encouraged to closely monitor the forecast and changing road conditions throughout the mid-Missouri area. Residents may want to run errands and shop for groceries early to avoid travel during inclement weather.

Updates will be posted on the City's various social media accounts. Information and updates are also available at CoMo.gov.

City of Columbia Public Works
Contact: John Ogan, [email protected]

create new emailA 21-person Public Works crew will report for duty at 7 p.m. Tuesday in anticipation of the arrival of winter weather. Crews will begin their response by applying pretreatments such as salt brine to roadways, with special attention given to bridges, curves, hills and intersections.

A mix of rain and snow is expected to begin in the evening, becoming entirely snow around midnight, when pavements are expected to begin to become covered with plowable snow. Once this occurs, snowplow crews will be primarily focused on plowing first, second and third priority roads. Priority roads, which are also known as snow routes, are the main arterial and collector routes across the City necessary for public safety. They include bus routes and streets which connect to schools, hospitals and other critical areas.

Residents can assist crews by avoiding unnecessary travel and by refraining from parking on roadways whenever possible. To receive an alert when snow accumulations reach 2 inches and parking is no longer allowed on priority routes, register an account at Alerts.CoMo.gov. Options are available for residents to receive alert notifications by text, email or automated phone call.

If you must travel, please drive slowly, keep your headlights on at all times and give plenty of following distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you.

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Columbia is the best place for everyone to live, work, learn and play.

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To serve the public equitably through democratic, transparent and efficient government.