How to Drive in Missouri’s Weather Conditions

Missouri is an inland state that can experience more than its fair share of extreme weather conditions throughout the year. With extreme temperature variations by season, Missouri can be hit with flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, storms and ice all in the same year.

This can make driving in Missouri a bit of a challenge, which is why you should be prepared to face adverse conditions at all times.

Having an emergency kit in your car and adding roadside assistance service to your auto insurance coverage are both ways that you can be as prepared as possible for dangerous weather conditions on the road.

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Driving in Missouri Throughout the Year

Missouri has a relatively flat landscape that makes for smooth driving on most roads during temperate weather. However, there can be some extreme temperature variations, which means that temperatures are very cold in the winter and hot in the summer.

Missouri experiences all four seasons, and the most temperate seasons are fall and winter. The average temperatures in the Missouri summer are about 87 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and you can expect average winter temperatures to be in the 20’s.

The coldest months tend to be December and January, and the warmest months July and August.

The levels of precipitation in Missouri vary by region. You can expect to see more annual rainfall in the southeast than the northwest region. On average, the southeast region experiences about 16 more inches of rainfall each year than the Northwest does.

The precipitation in the northwest tends to be more variable than in the southeast. It also tends to have more snow, hail, and ice than the southeast region.

Driving Tips for Bad Weather in Missouri

The first step in preparing for a safe journey in any weather condition is to make sure that your car is in good order. If you have any doubt about the mechanical status of your car, the responsible thing to do is to get it checked out by a mechanic before hitting the road.

You could also do your inspection of the headlights, windshield wipers, tires and fluid levels as well.

If your car breaks down, it is best to be ready with an emergency kit — which should include road flares, a blanket, water, granola bars, flashlight with batteries and extra cell phone battery.

While the safest thing you can possibly do to avoid getting into an accident in bad weather is to stay off the road completely, there are some general guidelines of how you can safely react in certain scenarios if you get caught off guard.

– Tornadoes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42ol6KIMw3Q

If you happen to get caught driving in a tornado, get off of the road as soon as possible and avoid parking on an open shoulder.

Do not stop your car under a bridge or tunnel because it can be subject to stronger winds than the open.

Also, do not get out of your car. Keep your seat belt buckled, and try to dip your head as far below the windshield as you can. It is best to try to cover your head with a blanket if glass breaks around you.

– Snow and Ice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZTgmC0Pmb8

Driving in winter requires your full attention to react to less than ideal road conditions, which is why it is important only to drive when you are alert.

Check weather reports before hitting the road at all, and make sure that your gas tank is full in case you end up stranded. If your vehicle gets stuck in the snow, do not abandon it because you will be harder to find and will be exposed to low temperatures.

Make sure you reduce your speed in snowy weather, but you should avoid slamming on the breaks aggressively. Try only to stop if you have to because you can get yourself stuck when you have to hit the gas again.

This is especially true if you have to drive up a hill. If you do have to accelerate, make sure you do it slowly so that you do not spin out of control or get stuck in the snow.

– Floods

Even if you do not think that rain is accumulating quickly, a flood can happen out of nowhere. Flash floods are the primary source of weather-related deaths in the U.S.

If you come across a barricade for flooding, do not ignore it. You should also never attempt to drive through standing water because the depth can be deceiving.

You could lose control of your vehicle and stall your engine, which could completely damage your car. If you get stuck in rising water, do not attempt to immediately restart your engine when it stalls. Instead, you should abandon your vehicle for higher ground as quickly as you can.

What will aid you in bad weather?

Even with all of the proper planning in the world and safe driving maneuvers in bad weather conditions, you may still end up needing assistance.

You should consider adding emergency roadside assistance to your existing auto insurance policy if this is an option through your auto insurance provider.

This will give you help in a situation where you can no longer drive your vehicle and are stranded on the road. It will likely only increase your premium by a small amount each month and can provide serious peace of mind on the road.

Even if you have emergency roadside assistance on your auto insurance policy, you should still call 911 in a life-threatening situation.

You should not delay in making that call for help because it could take longer for rescue workers to arrive at your location if the weather conditions are poor. It is always better to be safe than sorry because you are also a target for thieves or other criminals if you are visibly stranded on the side of the road.

This is especially true if it is after dark in a remote area.

You can also take steps to make sure that your car will be protected in extreme weather. Comprehensive auto insurance coverage is optional for all drivers, but it comes highly recommended because it can protect the value of your car.

If your car were struck by hail or flipped over in a tornado, you would have coverage for the cost of repairing or replacing your car through comprehensive auto insurance coverage.

You should keep in mind that you will be required to pay whatever the amount of your deductible is out of pocket in order to get the repairs done under this coverage.

Auto Insurance Coverage at the Right Price

If you decide that you want to get comprehensive auto insurance coverage or add emergency roadside assistance to your auto insurance policy, then it is probably a good time to look into the rates that are available for your coverage.

– Shopping for Coverage

The best way to get an idea of the available rates is to comparison shop online. You can quickly gauge all of the available auto insurance rates in your area and find out if another company would offer the same or better coverage at a cheaper rate.

There is a good reason why you will encounter a whole range of different rates for auto insurance coverage in your area.

Auto insurance companies are extremely competitive for your business, and each one has its own pricing strategies for how it determines what each driver will pay for auto insurance coverage.

While almost all of the major auto insurance companies use the same factors to determine each driver’s premium, they may weigh them differently.

For example, some auto insurance companies assign greater significance to the credit score of a driver in determining the rate that he or she will pay for coverage. In general, if you have a better credit score, you can expect to pay less for your auto insurance coverage.

– Discounts

When you have selected a company for your auto insurance coverage, you should then ask about all of the discounts that may be available. You might be able to pay less for your coverage by adding your home owner’s or renter’s insurance policy to the same company.

This is called a bundling discount, and it is only available from companies who are licensed to provide auto insurance and home owner’s insurance in your state. Some companies only specialize in providing auto insurance coverage in certain areas.

This is another reason why you can save yourself money by shopping around before signing up with a company for your coverage.

Also, you should ask your auto insurance company about whether you can get a discount for completing an official driver safety course. They might have a particular course that they recommend to their insured drivers.

By maintaining a good driving record and keeping any claims off of your insurance record, you will be in an excellent position to get a lower rate on your auto insurance policy.

Don’t Get Caught Off Guard

Don’t get caught off guard in bad weather conditions in Missouri.

With the potential for ice, flooding, thunderstorms, and tornadoes, it is prudent to be as prepared as possible for adverse conditions while driving.

Make sure that your car is in good condition and that there are no warning signs for maintenance issues, such as your check engine light being on or a maintenance alert, that would require you to get your car inspected before going on a long drive.

You should also be ready with a road emergency kit in case you have to wait out terrible weather on the road.

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