Update: Icy Rain Closes Schools, Crews Work to Treat Refreezing Roads

Overnight icy rain and freezing temperatures have left slick road conditions in O'Fallon and across the St. Louis area on Thursday morning.

Fort Zumwalt School District cancelled classes for the day due to the inclement weather.

City Engineer Steve Bender said has more than 80 percent of O'Fallon's streets treated.

"Right now we're chasing down areas that are refreezing," he said.  "That was our main focus, getting the salt down."

Public Works crews began pre-treating city roads on Wednesday afternoon and had full 34 truck crews out after 10 p.m.

Bender said the city's first focus is on arterial streets like Mexico and Bryan Roads, then collector streets like Sonderen and Pitman. From there they clear the residential areas.

"We still have 26 trucks out looking for missed areas and refrozen spots," he said.

Bender said O'Fallon drivers should drive slow and monitor the road conditions. 

According to Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), roads across the St. Louis region in better condition, but there are still some icy patches.

Kara Price, MoDOT communications director, said St. Charles County seems to have been hit the worst.

She added MoDOTs main focus has been the Interstates, where there is more traffic, rather than the letter routes in the rural areas. She said as of Thursday morning, there are still slippery spots on Highways 70 and 44 as well as Highways K and P in O'Fallon.

MoDOT advises drivers to give themselves plenty of travel time, use their headlights and leave plenty of space between their car and other vehicles on the roads.

"Use caution, if you don't have to be out this morning then don't," Price said.

The National Weather Service reports a slight chance of freezing drizzle before noon on Thursday with a high near 31 degrees in O'Fallon.

Update:  O'Fallon Police report 24 weather related accidents, as of Thursday at noon. Of the accidents, one driver had minor injuries and 23 suffered no injuries.