Much of the three inches of snow that fell in Columbus on Sunday had melted by late this morning, ending the brief holiday for some local businesses. But most area schools remained closed today.
In the wake of the late Sunday and early Monday storm, crippling cold weather is expected to sweep over north Mississippi tonight through the end of the week.
A winter weather advisory remained in place until noon today in north Mississippi, focused on hazardous driving conditions as slush and ice remained on roads and bridges. The National Weather Service said there was a chance of light freezing drizzle early today followed by a slight chance of snow flurries.
Temperatures were not expected to get warmer than the mid-30s, dropping into the high teens tonight. Forecasters said overnight temperatures would remain below freezing for the remainder of the week before warming into the 40s and 50s by the weekend.
Most public and private schools in the Golden Triangle including Columbus, Heritage Academy, Lowndes County, Starkville, West Point, and schools in Oktibeha and Clay counties, were closed today. Mississippi State University and Mississippi University for Women were open.
While snow had turned to slush by Monday morning in much of Lowndes, Oktibbeha and Clay counties, many roads remained icy and slick. Farther north, several inches of slushy snow still covered many Mississippi and north Alabama counties.
The storm caused “numerous wrecks,” according to Starkville-based Mississippi Highway Patrol spokesman Brian Mobley.
While the weather is a nuisance for some, it was pay dirt for tow services, said Allen Boykin, owner of Pierce”s Wrecker Service and Haul”s Wrecker Service in Columbus.
“There”s good money in it,” he said Monday as he prepared to tow a wrecked truck. “I love it. I hate to see anyone have an accident or damage their property, but it”s great.”
Boykin said his companies had towed about five vehicles since the storm began.
Another business that was booming was the pizza delivery business, said Highway 45 North Papa John”s General Manager Rick Sheffield.
“It was slow going,” he said of Sunday and Monday nights. “We were delivering until 8 Sunday night and 9 last night.”
The blistering winter storm that passed through Sunday and early Monday dumped snow, sleet and freezing rain, but it did not cause the widespread power outages that forecasters had feared.
Despite concerns about the possibility of icy roads in northern Mississippi, Gov. Haley Barbour said Monday that he decided not to reschedule the races for northern district transportation commissioner, a state Senate seat in parts of Lee and Pontotoc counties and a state House seat in part of coastal Harrison County.
Polls will be open until 7 p.m.
Barbour said he talked to officials at the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and the secretary of state”s office before deciding to go forward with the elections.
In north Alabama, overall the affects of the mix of snow and ice statewide did not appear to be as bad as had been expected, though roads were also coated with ice in many areas, along with snow. State troopers and police reported no major problems.
The snow was plentiful. Tupelo tied for the most snow it has received in the last 70 years, with an official tally of six inches reported at the airport, according to the National Weather Service in Memphis.
Baldwyn received as much as 10 inches. Ripley, Iuka and Falkner also reported at least 10 inches of snow. Oxford Mayor Pat Patterson said his city got up to 8 inches of snow.
Natchez Trace Parkway officials urged cars to avoid the parkway until all of the snow and ice has melted. They said the Trace becomes more dangerous during winter weather. The roads” lower volume of cars and its high number of shadows created by trees means that snow and ice tends to melt more slowly there.
In Alabama, schools, government offices and businesses remained closed for the second day in much of the northern half of the state. Gov. Bob Riley ordered state offices north of Clanton to remain closed for the second straight day today. Many businesses, offices and schools remained closed in the Birmingham area.
Staff writer Ryan Poe contributed to this story.
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