With a potentially treacherous mix of freezing rain, sleet and snow headed into the region, St. Louis County’s Department of Transportation early this afternoon — Friday, Feb. 20 — began spreading salt on the county’s 3,100 lane miles of roads and streets.

Officials warn that the approaching storm could pose serious challenges to motorists — particularly after 8 p.m., when the first band of freezing rain is projected to begin falling. Although the rock salt now being spread by county forces will melt much of that dangerous precipitation, motorists will still likely encounter random ice patches, and should drive accordingly, officials stated in a news release.

The Department of Transportation expects the freezing rain to transition into sleet and then snow before sunrise Saturday, with projected ice accumulation of one-quarter to one-half of an inch and up to 2 inches of snow.

As they do during all winter storms, St. Louis County forces will continue to salt and plow around the clock until the freezing rain and snow have passed and all roads and streets are clear, the release stated.