Rollercoaster weather patterns continue as spring approaches
Brixey-Rockbridge VFD shared this photo of Highway 95 when it was impassable Feb. 17 due to the high water of Bryant Creek.
It’s been said a lot here in the Ozarks that if you don’t like the weather, just wait a few minutes.
Ozark County is riding the winter-spring-winter-spring roller coaster again this week, with sunny and warm conditions on Monday, severe storms early Tuesday morning and the threat at press time of mixed winter precipitation, including a chance for ice and sleet.
Last week the county received a soaking of heavy rain, which caused some low-water crossings and roads to become flooded and were closed for a short time.
It was the first test for improvements on T Highway along Possum Creek near Mammoth where the Missouri Department of Transportation replaced several culverts with larger ones and raised the road level along the creek, which is prone to flooding during torrential downpours.
The improvements seemed to handle the flooding, as an Ozark County Times reporter observed the bigger culverts doing their job at the height of the flooding.
Bruce Bales, MoDOT Gainesville shed supervisor, said that particular rain wasn’t as heavy in the Mammoth area as in other parts of the county, but he’s still optimistic that the improvements will move the water off the road faster. “It’s not going to prevent water over the road, but it should move the water along much better,” Bales said.
Springfield meteorologist, KY3’s Brandon Beck was calling tor a wintry mix, including the potential for up to half an inch of ice and sleet by Wednesday night into Thursday for Ozark County.
Monday’s high in Gainesville was 71. The lows Thursday and Friday are expected to be in the teens with highs in the 30s. A slight warmup is in the forecast for next week. The first day of spring is March 20.