KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Plans are well underway for snow removal strategies on the interstates but it could take a bit longer than typical.

Both MoDOT and KDOT say they are down plow drivers, 30% less than what they would be at full strength.

Complicating matters is that many drivers are motivated to be on the roads going into the Christmas holiday. But the people clearing the roads are giving the strong recommendation to stay off them.

MoDOT recommends not traveling from late Wednesday evening all the way until to Friday afternoon.

The triple-punch of strong winds, high snowfall, and cold is concerning for Ed Hassinger, Deputy Director and Chief Engineer for the Missouri Department of Transportation.

“Don’t try to get in the middle of this one because this one is really going to be pretty dangerous,” Hassinger said. “It makes it harder for our crews because in extreme temperatures it makes it a lot harder to clean these things up.”

Staffing limitations are also an issue.

“We’re down about 30% across the state,” Hassinger said.

It’s the same for the Kansas Department of Transportation. KDOT is planning for plow configurations that allow one plow to clear two lanes on interstates.

But it will still take more time with holiday traffic and likely accidents delaying clean-up further.

“So we’re working off of limited resources which really requires us to do a lot of upfront planning,” Hassinger said.