The latest local news, weather and high school sports in and around Columbia and Jefferson City

Columbia snow plow truck drivers continue to work around the clock as the fight an uphill battle against Mother Nature.

Columbia road crews have been out since 7 a.m. as they treated roads before the snow hit.

Columbia snow plow truck drivers will work 12 hour shifts around the clock until they get the streets cleared.  One driver got stuck at the corner of Garth and Leslie Avenues while another got stuck in the 1900 block of Jackson Street on the city’s west side.  I-70 Towing truck driver Travis Wilson responded to dozens of calls on highways, county roads and city streets including a call involving a stuck Columbia police car.

Wilson said, “I’ve had cars stuck in ditch.  There have been stalled cars.  We had tractor trailers and semis stuck.  People try to go up hills and it just doesn’t work out in the snow.”

Thundersnow lit up the skies of Columbia throughout the day.  Columbia resident Roy Benson remembers hearing thunder during a snowstorm two years ago.

Benson said, “When it thunders and it snows, it’s going to snow heavy, as you can see right now, it sure is.”

MU students didn’t go to class today.  Instead they played in the snow.  MU Chancellor Brady Deaton made the rare decision to shut down the Mizzou campus because of the weather.  The last time that happened was during the blizzard of February 2011.

Columbia firefighters responded to more than a dozen injury accidents.  Columbia police responded to dozens of fender benders as traffic came to a complete stop in some locations.

Columbia Public Works officials say they are continuing to clear priority streets.

They hope to get plows in residential neighborhoods by Friday afternoon.