ST. LOUIS — Sunday afternoon, steam rises from clear downtown St. Louis streets, and the MoDOT trucks sit at the ready for a storm that will largely hit after sundown.
"Conditions change, especially at the beginning of a storm," MoDOT's Bob Becker said.
Becker said the agency is at full staffing with 200 drivers laying down calcium chloride and beet juice mixed with salt since salt alone is ineffective in temperatures below 25 degrees. Across state lines, they're also focusing on the front of the storm.
"The saying is 'you can't win the Masters on Thursday or Friday, but you can certainly lose it.' It's the same thing," IDOT's Joseph Monroe said. "We can't defeat the storm at the beginning of the storm, but we can certainly put ourselves in a big hole that will linger for days."
Monroe says they're going to have up to 160 trucks out watching for temperature issues in urban areas and wind for rural and high elevations.
"This is one where the experience and the talent of the individual plow operator will shine tonight," Monroe said. "We've put them in a position to succeed, they have the tools in the toolbox, but every route will probably have a little bit different challenge."
Concerns are sky-high for transportation officials with delays and cancellations reported at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, issues for travelers as they prepare for the challenges overnight.
"The pavement is actually relatively warm compared to the air temperature, but that's going to go away in a hurry," Monroe said. "On top of it, you are going to lose the friction from the traffic. We're going to have two things working against us overnight, so we have to be very cautious."
Stay with 5 On Your Side for the latest in this developing storm.