Published February 08. 2017 08:31PM
As soon as the forecast called for snow, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation crews were ready to hit the road.
“It looks like it’s going to be the biggest storm so far for the year if the predictions are correct,” Ron Young, PennDOT’s public relations for region 5, said of Thursday’s snowfall.Young said that the region’s PennDOT crew was out in full force to fight the snow and ice. With estimated accumulations of six to 12 inches, their services were an absolute necessity.“We will have crews out on 12 hour shifts, starting at midnight tonight,” Young said. “We will have all of our 209 trucks out there until the storm is over.”About 336 drivers shared the trucks throughout the ongoing shifts, plowing and salting the roads, if necessary. The strategy to clear the roads is up to the discretion of the drivers, who are familiar with particular routes.“It looks like it will be a plow operation toward the end of the storm, clearing the snow and ice,” Young said.Young said that in case of any white-outs or heavy snowfall, it is best to stay off the roads if you can. If you must travel, make sure to drive slow, provide plenty of space between your own vehicle and any vehicles in front of you, travel with an emergency kit, and if you have to stop, pull off the road completely before you do so.If you would like to find weather-related travel notifications for your area, or track where the plows will be, Young recommends visiting the 511pa.com site.“Every one of our trucks has a locater in it, so you can find out where they are and where they’re going,” he said.