The sleet fell first, and then it became snow.

After days of hype and predictions, St. Peters got covered by snow Tuesday afternoon. While the storm is far from over—a blizzard warning is still in effect for the metro area until noon Wednesday—St. Charles County has already declared a state of emergency. 

A blizzard warning is in effect in the metro area until Wednesday at noon, with wind gusts predicted to reach up to 35 mph.

Captain Dave Todd, who heads the County’s Division of Emergency Management, said the State of Emergency declaration makes the County eligible for state resources and equipment, including help from the National Guard.

“We have a potential crisis, and we want to stay out in front of this,” Todd said. “The National Guard will coordinate rescue operations for us.”

St. Peters road crews were out in full force Tuesday. Going up and down the roads, the crews were attempting to keep up with the rapid pace of the storm.

The city is updating residents constantly with breaking news. Late this afternoon, the city announced the Rec-Plex had closed both rinks and all classes would be canceled.