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MoDOT preparing for winter weather

A snowflake.
Flickr/AMagill
A snowflake.

Winter weather is headed to the St. Louis metropolitan area and crews with theMissouri Department of Transportationare making sure they are prepared.

MoDOT started pre-treating major routes Tuesday with salt brine. This morning trucks are out in full force monitoring the situation, ready to react when the rain, sleet and snow begin.

Becky Allmeroth, MoDOT Maintenance Engineer for the St. Louis region, says even though the National Weather Service doesn’t expect much accumulation, they don't trust Mother Nature.

"That storm on the twelfth wasn't supposed to be a big deal either and just with the temperature drop, we got thrown a curve ball with that thick ice situation," said Allmeroth. "And you can't change your game plan once rush hour starts."

The precipitation is expected to affect much of Southeast Missouri by 9 a.m and then push into portions of southwest Illinois and the Saint Louis Metro area by noon.

Little if any accumulation is expected and the impact of the rain, snow and sleet is expected to be low because temperatures will rise above freezing.