ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – As disgruntled residents complain about the state of roadways and highways after last weekend’s harsh winter storm, St. Louis County leadership is asking for patience as their short-staffed crews treat and plow streets with another storm looming.

During a news conference Thursday afternoon, County Executive Sam Page said crews are working around the clock to handle the snow and accumulate ice. The county is responsible for 3,200 miles of roadway, Page said, the equivalent of driving from Orlando, Florida, to Seattle, Washington.

Page said from time to time, he’s been behind the wheel of a snowplow to understand what the drivers go through. Last Saturday, he said he helped clear two arterial roads and a subdivision.

The county executive asked residents to move their vehicles off the streets and into garages or driveways later today and on Friday. This is a prevention measure to keep snow plows from hitting cars or covering them with snow and sleet accumulation.

According to Page and Stephanie Leon Streeter, director of the Transportation and Public Works Department, the county is understaffed by approximately 40 drivers, which has affected clearance and treatment times.

Streeter said the upcoming storm, which is expected to deliver between two and four inches of snow in the St. Louis region, will not be as bad as last weekend’s storm. The sunshine has helped to melt some of the snowpack. The county will begin treating the roads late Thursday afternoon ahead of the expected snowfall, Streeter said.

Crews have gone over the roads multiple times but need feedback from the community, Page said. He encouraged residents who encounter untreated or unplowed roads to check the St. Louis County government website to see if it falls under the county’s jurisdiction. They’d like to get everything treated today before the snow starts up again.

When asked about highway and interstate on- and off-ramps, Page said those fall under the purview of the Missouri Department of Transportation. However, the county executive was reluctant to critique the state agency and, instead, offered empathy.

“I’m not going to criticize MoDOT. They’re a very important partner of ours. They have limited resources like we do,” Page said. “They’ve struggled with getting their pay up to keep MoDOT workers; it’s been a controversial issue in state government. … We have the same challenges in county government. We’ve been struggling to get the pay up for our county employees – to recruit and retain them.”

While Page said he’s proud of their drivers for their work treating the roads, he acknowledged people’s frustrations but asked that they “give a little grace” to both MoDOT and county drivers.

Ryan Pierce, the operations division manager for Transportation and Public Works, asked for continued patience from county residents and civility. He said sleet and ice drastically alter their ability to clear roads.

Dealing with just one inch of sleet is like dealing with four inches of snow, and plows and trucks struggle traversing that.

Brian Schaffer, director of the Parks and Recreation Department, said most parks have reopened but added the trails are not plowed. As of Thursday afternoon, Lone Elk Park remains closed for the time being. Schaffer also reiterated the dangers of walking onto waterways (lakes, ponds, and streams) that appear frozen over.