Here in Mid-Missouri, we've long been blessed with top-rate crews that get us back on the roads shortly after those winter blasts that come at the least convenient times.
This year, those crews - at least on the state level - could be tested more than ever. Not necessarily due to a harsh winter, but because of work shortage issues.
The Missouri Department of Transportation said it has had a high turnover rate and many positions still open. Twenty percent of its plow operators have less than a year of experience.
MoDOT held its annual winter operations drill Thursday, saying the training is more critical than ever.
"One of the most valuable parts of the drill is it allows our newest employees the opportunity to drive a snowplow over their designated routes so they are aware of curbs and raised islands that might be hidden in snow or ice," Becky Allmeroth, MoDOT chief safety and operations officer, said in a news release.
The department said, despite its best efforts, it hasn't made progress filling its winter operations vacancies. It's also had record turnover, with more than 70 employees leaving each month for the past six months.
"We are several hundred employees below what we need in order to cover more than one shift in a statewide storm," MoDOT Director Patrick McKenna said in a news release. "If a widespread winter storm lasts more than one 12-hour shift, we will not have enough employees to fill all the trucks on the second shift and therefore it will take longer to clear the roads."
In Thursday's drill, MoDOT reacted to a simulated forecast of significant snow for the entire state. It's intended to make sure the equipment works as expected and the employees use proper procedure and safety measures.
What will this winter look like? The Old Farmer's Almanac, if you believe their winter predictions, put us in a zone labeled "Numb's the Word, Just Shovelin' Along." Let's hope not.
Fortunately, more of us are better equipped to work at home since the pandemic.
However, whatever happens, practice patience and be appreciative of the crews that sometimes work long hours to keep us on the roads.