MoDOT/Southwest Winter Travel Advisory: Saturday through Monday, March 1-3‏

MoDOT/Southwest Winter Travel Advisory:

Saturday through Monday, March 1-3

Freezing rain, sleet and snow expected to impact southwest Missouri beginning Saturday afternoon, March 1.  The winter storm will impact travel through Monday morning rush hour.  Drivers urged to use caution and be prepared for slick roads and downed trees and power lines across roadways. Weather Forecast: Freezing rain, sleet and snow are expected to begin falling throughout southwest Missouri sometime late Saturday afternoon/evening and continue through early Monday morning. Two to six inches of sleet and snow are expected with up to a tenth of an inch of ice.  Temperatures are expected to be in the teens and single digits during overnight hours and lower 20s during the day. Also, wind gusts of up to 30 mph are expected through the period.   Road Clearing: MoDOT crews will be on the road ahead of the storm Saturday afternoon.  Crews will treat roads with a mixture of salt and abrasives to help with traction. Crews will remain on the road ‘round the clock treating and clearing as necessary until major routes are in clear condition.  Hills, curves and intersections on lesser-traveled roads will be treated with a mixture of salt and abrasives and will be plowed, if necessary.  However, lesser-traveled roads will not be in clear condition.                 MoDOT crews will NOT be able to remove downed power lines which may fall across roads. Local power companies will be notified about the downed power lines and some roads will remain blocked until electric crews can clear away the downed lines.   If trees are down across roads and there are no downed power lines with them, MoDOT crews will do their best to open up the road to traffic.  They will clear away debris from driving lanes.  The debris will be pushed to shoulders and crews will come back when conditions improve to remove the debris.    Travel Conditions: Road conditions will not improve drastically until the storm moves out of the area.  Crews will do their best to keep major roads in passable condition during the storm.  However, lesser-traveled roads will remain mostly covered.  Crews will do their best to keep roads free of downed trees.  However, roads covered by downed power lines will remain blocked until electric companies can respond. Roads with downed power lines will be closed until the lines can be removed.  Drivers can regularly check MoDOT's Traveler Information Map for updated road conditions and roads blocked by downed trees and power lines.  Monday morning rush hour will be especially challenging, depending on temperatures and when the storm system moves out of the area.  Drivers are urged to take it slow and allow plenty of extra travel time to reach their destinations, if travel is a necessity. However, drivers are urged to stay off roads until conditions improve. Traveler Information Map: To find the most up-to-date road conditions in southwest Missouri and statewide, check MoDOT's Traveler Information Map.  MoDOT also has a Traveler Information Map mobile app for smart phones. Winter Weather Driving Tips: Buckle up.   Slow down. Stay at least 100 feet behind a truck plowing/treating the road.  Be alert for changing road conditions.  Make sure fuel tanks are full before traveling. Don't drive across downed utility lines or tree debris Focus on driving and avoid distractions. Allow for extra travel time. Carry an emergency kit equipped with snacks, water and blankets.