MDOT Prepared For Heavy Snow

snowyroad-19
snowyroad-19

With lots of snow falling this week, the Michigan Department of Transportation’s fleet of plows has been plenty busy. MDOT spokesperson Nick Schirripa tells WSJM News when storms are approaching, they’re already making preparations, moving plows around the service region.

“Berrien County is going to get snow before Kalamazoo County or before Calhoun County so response times vary depending on where in our region you’re talking about, but certainly every garage, every crew is ready to go before the weather gets here,” Schirrpa said.

Schirripa says MDOT plows stay out on highways all night long as they are needed.

“Our operators will be out plowing continuously, non-stop, as long as snow as falling, and even after the snow stops falling, until we are down to essentially wet pavement.”

With temperatures as low as they have been the last few days, Schirripa says salt becomes counterproductive as whatever the salt melts just refreezes quickly. In conditions below about 20 degrees, the goal is instead to scrape all the snow away. With stormy weather like this week, MDOT advises drivers to give themselves more time and to travel as slow as the conditions would require. Also don’t crowd the plow. You can stay on top of road conditions, and even track MDOT plows, at Michigan.gov/Drive.