LET IT SNOW - Boone County Journal

Southern Boone Hit with First Winter Storm of the Year

Georgia Zimny made great use of her snow day time off

By: Tara Blue
A polar vortex swept through Southern Boone this past week, bringing the first real snowstorm of the new year. By last Tues. Jan. 9th, Ashland and Hartsburg had received around 2.5 inches of snow, with steady flurries, bitterly cold winds, and icy conditions persisting throughout the week. According to the National Weather Service in St. Louis, the wind chills periodically dropped below -30 degrees.

Elianna Ash and Sylvia Boicourt

The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Troop F handled 75 calls for service, 25 stranded motorists, 11 non-injury crashes and zero injury-inducing crashes as of midnight on Tuesday.

Children from the Eagle Achievers Academic Center went toe-to-toe in a snowball fight with Sergeant Andrew Worrall of the APD

Among the many cancellations around town, the Southern Boone School District utilized snow days on Tues. Jan. 9, Wed. Jan. 10, Fri., Jan. 12, and the following Tues. Jan. 16. School was not in session on Mon. Jan. 15 in observance of MLK, Jr. Day, so students attended school for a total of one day this past week.

The ice and snow last week created dangerous driving conditions, especially on our smaller rural roads. Southern Boone Schools Superintendent Dr. Tim Roth said that “our top priority is the health and safety of our students and staff.” Roth said the school district considered the students who must wait at bus stops or walk to school, citing the National Weather Service’s warning that cold weather injuries can occur within 30 minutes of exposure. As of Wed. Jan. 17th, the school district has utilized four out of its allotted six snow days.