County prepares for coming winter

The temperature was in the 70s over the weekend, and the forecast calls for it to stay there through Tuesday. And yet, before long the winter will set in and motorists will begin to take more precautions when they venture out onto the highway.

Washington County Engineer David Patterson said that the recent warm weather has kept the county in ?construction mode? as opposed to ?winter weather mode.? He said the county plans to use its equipment for construction until mid-November.

?We plan to have everything prepared for snow by Thanksgiving,? Patterson said.

Patterson said the county has already taken in a full delivery of 1,500 tons of salt over the summer. He said the county and the grain farmers split the cost of transportation. When the grain farmers haul their grain to the Mississippi River, the salt is hauled in the same containers on the way back to Washington.

Patterson said the county will also get ready its chains which it puts on its vehicles in icy weather. He said the county receives the chains from a manufacturer but then the county is responsible for cutting it to length and for affixing it to the tires.

?We have 20 pieces of snow removal equipment and they all have six tires,? he said.

Patterson said the chains can be dangerous if they?re not properly attached to the tires.

?We don?t want them breaking off and damaging the vehicle,? he said.

Patterson said the chains can be a real life-saver on freezing cold days when rain becomes ice.

?The chains give trucks traction when they?re on ice,? he said. ?If there?s solid ice out there, those chains really help us out. Generally, we only use them for ice-covered roads. If there?s just snow out there, it?s not a big deal. The only way to get around when it?s icy is with chains or studs on the tires.?

Patterson said studs are not used on the large pieces of snow moving equipment but rather on pickup trucks and that kind of vehicle.

?You see more studded tires in places like Colorado,? he said.

Patterson said that one tool that has become very valuable in the past few years is the DOT?s forecasting technology.

?The DOT forecasts give us things like the temperature of the pavement and what it will be 48 hours form now,? he said. ?If the pavement is going to warm up on its own, that will tell us that it might be the perfect time for salt or it might mean that the salt is unnecessary.?

Patterson also spoke about the weather cameras the DOT has deployed throughout the state. There are now over 100 cameras on interstates that can be viewed on the Internet.

?I can find out what the weather looks like south or north of us,? he said. ?There is one on the I-80 bridge that I always watch when I?m about to drive through there.?

Patterson said the DOT provides him with information about wind speed, precipitation and what the temperature is just below the pavement.

Patterson said the traffic cameras allow the DOT to find out where traffic is backing up, which lets it know if or how the traffic should be re-routed. He said another improvement in the past few years has been the addition of the electronic signs that alert motorists to weather advisories and road closures.

Patterson said the most important piece of advice he has to motorists is to remember to slow down in inclement weather.

?We always have problems on the first storm of the year,? he said. ?We forget how much slower we have to drive.?

Patterson also recommended that motorists carry an emergency kit in their car and that they have a charged cell phone.