As snow began to fall Tuesday in West Plains, city transit services shut down early, all city buildings closed at noon with the exception of the West Plains Civic Center, and the due date for utility bills to be paid today has been extended to noon Thursday.
“We understand the weather may impact your ability to make a payment today, and we want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to do so,” said city officials. All West Plains Parks and Recreation games scheduled for Tuesday have been rescheduled for Saturday.
The civic center, 110 St. Louis St., was kept open until 5 p.m. to serve as a warming shelter. For information about other warming shelters in West Plains call the hotline for assistance, 417-257-7184.
The West Plains Daily Quill office and print shop will be closed again Wednesday, but staff will continue working remotely and monitoring emails. Email news@westplainsdailyquill.net for general information or to share news tips and photos. Email subscribe@westplainsdailyquill.net or call 417-777-9775 for subscription and delivery questions. Email printing@westplainsdialyquill.net for any questions for the print shop.
Ozark Action will again be closed Wednesday due to weather conditions, announced Housing Division Director Ed Button.
Continue reading to see the current list of meeting cancellations and school closures below.
A winter storm warning is in effect until 6 a.m. Wednesday. The National Weather Service office in Springfield forecasts a total of between 6 and 12 inches of snow falling over most of its coverage area, with locally higher amounts of up to 14 inches possible in a few locations.
A cold weather advisory is also in effect from 6 p.m. tonight through noon Thursday, with wind chills of -10 to -20 degrees expected. The advisory may be upgraded to a warning, said meteorologists.
West Plains is on the warmer end of this trend, with a daytime high temperature of 20 degrees forecast for Wednesday; Ava is expected to see a high of 17 degrees; Springfield, 14 and Rolla, 16. Tonight’s low air temperature in West Plains is expected to be 5 degrees with a possible windchill of 8 below zero. Comparatively, Ava is looking at a 2-degree low temp and overnight wind chill of -14 degrees. Overnight Wednesday will be colder still, with West Plains’ low temp projected to be 2 below zero and Ava’s 6 below zero; wind chills respectively are expected to be -15 and -19 degrees.
NWS shows a 100% likelihood of snow continuing in West Plains through 11 p.m. tonight, dropping slightly to 95% and 80% respectively over the next two hours. A moderate chance exists for snow to continue until at least 3 a.m., and scattered flurries are also possible through Wednesday.
A timeline graphic from the National Weather Service shows the heaviest snow, with the most major impacts, will fall in West Plains and Ava between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Southwest and south central Missouri are considered to be experiencing major impacts to travel, with “dangerous or impossible driving conditions,” and a warning from NWS in bold, emphatic font, to “Avoid travel if possible.” Meteorologists also warn of the possibility of widespread closures and disruptions to infrastructure.
The West Plains R-7 School Board meeting scheduled for Tuesday evening will be held Feb. 25.
Ozarks Healthcare has canceled its Community Education Dinner that was scheduled to be held Wednesday in Mtn. Grove. Follow @OzarksHealthcare on Facebook for weather-related updates.
The Richards R-7 School Board meeting scheduled for Thursday evening will be held Feb. 27.
The Willow Springs City Council meeting scheduled for Thursday evening will be held Feb. 27.
West Plains Municipal Court proceedings set for 9 a.m. 10 a.m. Thursday will be held at 1 p.m. Feb. 27. Call 417-256-6154 with questions, or check the status of a case online at courts.mo.gov.
West Plains schools will be closed Wednesday due to the snow, with R-7 district officials encouraging students and their families to “Stay safe, stay warm and have a fun snow day.” The West Plains closures include the surrounding rural K-8 school districts and Head Start programs.
Missouri State University-West Plains and Mtn. Grove Shannon Hall campuses, including offices will be closed Wednesday due to the ongoing threat of hazardous conditions. Online classes will be held and all seated classes will move to remote learning. Students should check Brightspace and their university email for further instructions. Updates will be made through university email, the university’s main social media accounts and the website, wp.missouristate.edu.
Other schools announcing closures for Wednesday as of 5:10 p.m. Tuesday include Alton, Ava and Ava Head Start, Bakersfield, Cabool and Cabool Head Start, Cotter (Ark.), Dora, Eminence, Gainesville and Gainesville Head Start, His Place Christian Academy in West Plains, Houston and Houston Head Start, Koala Bear Daycare and Learning Center in Ava and Gainesville, Koshkonong, Licking and Licking Head Start, Lutie, Mammoth Spring (Ark.), Mtn. Grove and Mtn. Grove Head Start, Mtn. Home (Ark.), Norwood, Ozark Horizon State School in West Plains, Plainview in Ava, Salem (Ark.), Skyline R-2 in Norwood, Skyview State School in Mtn. Grove, Summersville, Thayer, Thornfield, Viola (Ark.), Winona and Willow Springs, the Willow Springs Excel Program and Willow Springs Head Start.
Of those districts, the following will be using alternative methods of instruction: Ava, Mtn. Grove, Norwood, Plainview and Summersville.
Southwest Baptist University’s campus in Mtn. View and Texas County Technical College in Houston are also closed Wednesday.
