Wind chill advisory causes school cancellations; ferry closings

The National Weather Service in St. Louis reports a wind chill advisory remains in effect until 9 am CST Thursday for the River Bend area.

Wind chill will be as low as 21 below, temperatures 4 below to 12 above zero, and winds northwest 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.

A Wind Chill Advisory is issued when a strong wind combines with very low temperatures to create dangerous conditions for exposed skin. The cold air and wind will make it feel like it is between 15 and 24 degrees below zero for several hours. Those planning to venture outdoors should use common sense and dress warmly, making sure that all exposed skin is covered.

Impacts: wind chills of this magnitude can result in frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes. People who are outdoors without sufficient protection will run a high risk of frostbite and hypothermia.

Light snow fell throughout the area overnight throughout the area. However, there are certainly some slick areas particularly on side streets and elevated surfaces like bridges, ramps and overpasses. Once the light snowfall began around midnight, MoDOT crews started coming in. Around 3 a.m., nearly 200 trucks were out cleaning the roadways.

St. Louis County highway officials say they have had trucks out since 1 a.m.

IDOT officials say they have had trucks out since around midnight mostly salting roads on the Illinois side.

IDOT announces closing of Brussels and Kampsville Ferries

The Illinois Department of Transportation announces the closing of the Brussels and Kampsville Ferries due to ice accumulation in the Illinois River.  Both Ferries closed at 7:55 a.m. today, Jan. 7.  These closures will be in effect until the river conditions improve to allow for the safe operation of the ferry service. Motorists should consider the Hardin Bridge for access to Calhoun County during these periods.

These restrictions are required for the safety of the traveling public and ferry personnel.  Ice within the Illinois River makes operation unsafe for continued service.  Advance signage has been utilized to inform travelers of these closures.  Travelers are advised to consider alternate routes and allow additional time for travel around this area. Regardless, all motorists are urged to be patient, reduce speed and exercise added caution throughout the Metro East – as traffic patterns and travel times will likely be affected.

Since this is a very dynamic situation, please see the Department’s website,

www.stl-traffic.org/, for the latest information on area roadway closures.

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Area schools are reported cancelled:

The following schools and school districts are closed today (Thurs. Jan. 8):

Alton School District

Edwardsville School District

Bethalto School District 

Bunker Hill School District

East Alton Elementary School District

East Alton Wood River High School

Edwardsville School District

Mississippi Valley Christian School in Alton

Roxana School District

Wood River Hartford Elementary School District

E-mail Danbrannan@riverbender.com or support@riverbender.com any additional school closings or area weather information and we will post to our story. Any time during inclement weather conditions this winter we encourage readers to post information.

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