Winter weather blankets Mid-South with snow
MEMPHIS, TN (WMC-TV) - A blast of heavy snowfall made things tough for drivers Sunday night, leaving conditions treacherous for the Monday morning commute.
Crews and trucks filled with a salt and sand mixture were ready to hit the street as soon as the winter weather arrived Sunday.
The Memphis Public Works Department spent all day Friday and Saturday treating the roads with a liquid mixture. All crews could do Sunday was wait for the weather to hit.
Once the snow arrived, crews started treating major streets, bridges and overpasses.
Deputy Public Works Director Robert Knecht said drivers need to remember to give the salt-spreader trucks plenty of space. He also reminded drivers that side streets are not treated and can be very slick.
"If you have to get out, the key thing is to give yourself plenty of time," said Knecht. "Plan your route ahead to say off of the minor streets and stay on as many major streets, because you have a better chance of those roads being in better condition for driving."
As the snow came down, shoppers in Midtown Memphis stocked up.
"They're starting to run out of bread and stuff in here," said one shopper.
"We're going to make a big ol' pot of taco soup," said another shopper. "Should last us a few days if we have to, and maybe some hot apple cider."
Grocery store shelves were nearly bare by late Sunday evening.
"I live in Whitehaven," said Eunice Fair. "There's no milk, there's no bread. And where I shop, everything is really almost gone."
Alison Jones, an employee at an East Memphis grocery store, said people were stocking up on essential items.
"It's just been going and going and going," said Jones. "Inside all the baskets were gone."
The hottest items for the cold were milk, eggs and bread.
"We're low on hot chocolate, too," said Jones.
At CostCo on Germantown Parkway, drivers packed the gas station waiting for gas. Fair said she had better things to do than get out on the slippery streets.
"Drink my hot chocolate, drink my coffee, and just law in bed and watch TV," she said.
Meanwhile, residents in Oxford, Mississippi quickly found themselves covered in snow.
"It just started coming heavy all of a sudden," said Oxford resident Marilyn Stevens.
"It's crazy," said Oxford resident Dustin Talley. "I've lived in Illinois and I've seen snow a lot and this is just crazy. In Mississippi, this is just weird."
While some rushed to the grocery store, others found time to enjoy the snow.
"I love it," said one Oxford resident. "I want some more of it."
Travel was tricky for the Monday morning commute. If you have to venture out on the interstate system for the remainder of the day, please call the following numbers to check road conditions:
Tennessee Road Conditions: 1-800-342-3258
Arkansas Road Conditions: 1-800-245-1672
Mississippi Road Conditions: 1-601-987-1211
Missouri Road Conditions: 1-800-222-6400
