ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Water main breaks and frozen pipes caused damage around the St. Louis area again Wednesday.
During the morning rush, a water main break caused water to rush onto Interstate 270 near Route 367. Some of the highway lanes were closed while crews worked to repair the break. Crews have since completed the repairs. Water that rushed onto the highway froze into a slush while drivers made their way through the area.
Overnight in Maplewood, a 6-inch water main sent water rushing down Oakview Terrace near Manchester Road. An employee at CNB STL Bank said the water made a mess in part of the bank.
Christie Barnhart with Missouri American Water said fewer than 10 customers were without service while repairs were being made. The repair was finished at around noon.
Barnhart told 5 On Your Side that Missouri American Water had 29 water main breaks on Tuesday and 19 crews were out working breaks before lunchtime on Wednesday, "We normally do see a higher rate of water main breaks in the winter, but I would say that this is not your average winter."
A frozen pipe also caused damage to the Embassy Suites in Bridgeton. 5 On Your Side saw a restoration van at the business early Wednesday morning with water coming from the front door. An employee said they did have a pipe burst, but the damage was isolated, and the hotel was still taking reservations. Crews were still working on the cleanup effort as of 10:15 a.m.
Temperatures were below-freezing for 118-and-a-half hours from 2 p.m. on Jan. 12 until midday Wednesday.
It's counterintuitive, but warmer temperatures will not help maintain the pipes.
"We're expecting temperatures to come up quite a bit in the next few days and that can also create main breaks," Barnhart explains, "because what happens is it causes what's known as ground shift, which can cause pipes to break as well."
She said snow can act as a blanket for underground pipes, so once it melts, pipes get colder and could break.
Another Arctic front moves through the area Thursday morning with a chance for snow flurries. The better chance for more minor accumulations of snow will be late Thursday evening into early Friday. Whatever falls will accumulate quickly and stay around due to the frigid air returning?
In fact, with a fresh coating of snow expected on Friday morning, so our Weather First team has called for a weather alert, especially for the morning commute.
A dusting of up to 1-inch is possible in most areas.