The Missouri Department of Transportation warns drivers they may see snow plows on the roads Wednesday.

It's part of a statewide snow drill taking place throughout the day, MoDOT stated in a news release.

MoDOT officials said they began preparing for the area's first winter storm months ago.

In rural areas, crews will take to the streets after 8 a.m. and in urban areas, the drill will begin after 9 a.m., according to MoDOT.

As a response to a simulated snowfall event, trucks with snowplows and spreaders will deploy across state routes during the drill that is set to take approximately six hours.

"We have a detailed plan and our trucks drive set routes that allow us to work efficiently and make the most of our resources," said State Maintenance Engineer Beth Wright in the news release. "This exercise gives us a chance to measure that snowplow circuit and better anticipate response times when it really does snow."

During Wednesday's drill, MoDOT will also activate its emergency operations centers. As part of MoDOT's winter weather preparations, maintenance employees also complete an annual winter skills training.

The release stated that MoDOT spends close to $42 million annually on winter weather preps and care.

For more information on road conditions across the state visit www.modot.org.