The Missouri Department of Transportation says it’s ready for the winter storm that’s supposed to hit the St. Louis area and portions of south central Missouri and the Ozarks over Christmas.
MoDOT crews are busy pre-treating the roads, said department spokesman Drew Gates. He says if the weather allows, crews will take a break Christmas morning to spend some time with their families before the bulk of the storm hits.
"When we get into the run of things, we’ll have more than 400 employees working 12-hour shifts around the clock to get those roadways safe and passable as quickly as possible," Gates said.
The department ran a winter weather drill in October, and Gates says that should make this first big storm of the season easier to deal with.
The timing, he says, is a mixed bag.
"You don’t necessarily have that rush per se from the evening commute, but you do in fact have families returning home from celebrating with family," he said.
Forecasters are calling for two to four inches in the St. Louis area, with heavier amounts to the south. As always, Gates is reminding drivers to go slow and give plows plenty of room.
