~ St. Louis, MO - Mayor Cara Spencer has declared a state of emergency in the City of St. Louis in anticipation of a severe winter storm expected to hit this weekend. The National Weather Service has issued a forecast for heavy snowfall, with the potential for accumulations exceeding 12 inches. Along with the snow, dangerously cold temperatures in the single digits and teens are expected, making snow removal efforts more challenging and posing a significant risk to those spending time outside or in unheated structures.

The state of emergency will remain in effect until February 22nd and grants expanded authority to city officials in various areas such as emergency contracting and procurement, resource coordination across departments, documentation of overtime and mutual aid costs for potential reimbursement from state or federal agencies, and the implementation of travel advisories or restrictions if necessary.

Mayor Spencer stated that city departments are well-prepared for the upcoming weather conditions and have established a Winter Weather Unified Command to ensure efficient coordination. She emphasized the danger posed by this type of weather and stressed that declaring a local state of emergency will provide immediate access to necessary resources should the storm become as severe as predicted.

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This is not the first time Mayor Spencer has declared a state of emergency; she also did so on May 16th after a tornado tore through the city. In preparation for this weekend's storm, the City of St. Louis has partnered with other organizations to make 600 emergency shelter beds available day and night until Monday morning. Additionally, the Street Department has already pretreated snow routes with 90,000 gallons of brine as of Friday morning.

To ensure safe road conditions during and after the storm, a team of 90 snowplow operators will be working 12-hour shifts to clear roads starting with arterials, followed by secondaries, hill routes, and residential streets as needed.

Due to their focus on snow removal efforts, trash collection by the Street Department will be suspended on Monday, January 26th. Regularly scheduled collection will resume on Thursday, January 29th, with collections for Monday and Tuesday being postponed by one day each.

Residents are advised to stay informed about the storm and to take necessary precautions to stay safe during this severe weather event. The City of St. Louis and its partners are working diligently to ensure the safety and well-being of all residents during this time.

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