The National Guard has been called in to help with the blizzard that is expected to hit the state early this week.

Gov. Jay Nixon called Missouri’s National Guard into duty on Monday afternoon as freezing rain fell in the state capital, the beginnings of a winter weather storm predicted to culminate in 12 to 20 inches of snow for central and northern areas of the state.

Six hundred members of the National Guard have been dispatched into three sections across the state, focusing around Springfield, St. Louis and Kansas City. The guard members are to provide secondary assistance to local authorities and state departments as needed, doing anything from rescues, clearing the road for missions or going door-to-door giving assistance.

“Very rarely do we get a blizzard warning, so we want to manage this crisis, not let it manage us,” said Major General Stephen Danner.

– Missouri Digital News