The City of St. Joseph Streets Department has spent the past week gearing up for the first snow fall.

Steve Kendall with the Streets Department said this week workers have been taking part in classroom training and going over equipment ahead of the winter season. Snowplow drivers took part in a snowplow rodeo Thursday at Heritage Park. Kendall said the course was set up to get drivers back in the swing of things before the first snowfall.

“It’s a refresher course for the guys who have been here for a long time and the guys who haven’t ever done it it gives them a feel for what they’re getting into,” Kendall said.  “The little metal pipes we have there you want to get as close to the cones as you can without hitting them and knock the pipes over.”

Kendall said this year around 17 trucks will be out each shift pushing snow and there are around 35 crew members who will be working in shifts.

The Missouri Department of Transportation will hold its statewide drill to prepare for the upcoming winter season on Wednesday, Nov. 9. MoDOT said that day drivers may notice increased numbers of MoDOT vehicles on state routes during the drill. In rural areas, crews will deploy after 8 a.m. In urban areas, the drill will not begin until after 9 a.m. The exercise should be completed by 3 p.m.