Meanwhile, a statewide winter weather drill is scheduled for Thursday. The Missouri Department of Transportation will deploy snowplows and other heavy vehicles along the state’s major and minor highways, starting at 8-AM in rural areas and 9-AM in urban centers. Mo-DOT maintenance director Darin Hamelink says there have not been any significant winter storms in Missouri during the past three years, which makes this week’s drill more crucial than ever. He also says nearly 19 percent of Missouri’s snowplow drivers have less than one year’s experience and more than a third have under three years’ experience.