ST. LOUIS — Hundreds of closures are rolling in Thursday as the winter storm is expected to cause trouble on local roads.
As of 10 a.m., there were more than 300 closures reported for schools, daycares, businesses, municipal buildings and other locations. Many schools that didn't cancel classes or switch to remote learning are now dismissing early.
The Saint Louis Zoo said it will close at noon for the safety of visitors and staff, with only critical employees remaining.
The Gateway Arch also closed early at 1 p.m. It will refund those who had purchased tickets for a tram ride or documentary showing.
Click here to see a full list of closures.
Thursday afternoon the temperatures should drop to near freezing. The area will likely see a mix to ice and sleet, then snow with light accumulations in the metro.
Rain on the roads is expected to cause icy conditions by afternoon as temperatures drop. MoDOT warned of slick roads for the afternoon rush hour, asking people to stay home or leave work early if they can.
For those that have to go out, they are asked to be careful, as roads will be wet and at times slick throughout the day.
The fewer cars on the road by rush hour, the better, said MoDOT Maintenance District Engineer Bob Becker.
FORECAST: Storm Alert | Rain to freezing rain, sleet and snow in St. Louis: Here's the latest timeline
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