You will notice numerous snowplows on roads and highways Thursday morning and afternoon throughout mid-Missouri.
While winter doesn’t officially start until December 21, today is the Missouri Department of Transportation’s (MoDOT) annual winter operations drill. You’ll see snowplows starting after 8 am and continuing until the early afternoon hours.
MoDOT says today’s driver training is critical, with turnover rates and numerous positions still open. MoDOT says about 16 percent of their snowplow operators have less than one year of experience, and 40 percent have less than three years of experience. The drill will give all operators an opportunity to drive their routes to get familiar with details of the road and turn-around points without any snow and ice to contend with.
The plow drivers will react to a simulated forecast of significant snow for the entire state, and MoDOT’s emergency operations centers will activate.
MoDOT says it has about 2,400 snowplow operators throughout the state. Missouri had a rough winter in 2024-2025: the agency spent more than $64-million on winter operations last year.