Freezing rain and sleet began falling in the Springfield area around 8:00 a.m. Thursday and the wintry mix is expected to continue on and off until Thursday evening.
A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect through 9:00 p.m. Thursday for all areas along and south of I-44, with a Winter Weather Advisory continuing for the northern Ozarks through 9 o’clock.
We’ve had reports of thunder and lightning with moderate sleet in Neosho around 7:45 a.m., moderate sleet in Republic just after 8:00 a.m., and even two and a half inches of snow on top of a freezing rain/sleet mix in the Irwin area of Barton County northwest of Springfield.
Heavy sleet also fell Thursday morning in the Marshfield and Niangua areas, with heavy sleet in the Cross Timbers area in Hickory County.
Freezing rain was reported in south Springfield at 9:15 a.m. and a combination of freezing rain and sleet at the National Weather Service office in northwest Springfield.
The National Weather Service says we’ll continue to see some heavier sleet and/or freezing rain showers, with thunder in some of the stronger cells.
The predominant precipitation type will be sleet and snow further north, with sleet and freezing rain to the south.
Pea size hail has even been reported Thursday morning in McDonald County in extreme southwest Missouri.
The MoDOT Traveler Information Map shows partially ice covered roads on major Higwhays in the Springfield Area (I-44, Highway 65, James River Freeway), with covered roads in much of the rest of the Ozarks.