LIVE: GroundFOX checking out road conditions
Nov 21, 2024
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WJW) -- The Ohio Department of Transportation ready for the first snow of the season -- are you?
The first round of snow is expected to hit Northeast Ohio on Thursday, though little accumulation is expected, according to FOX 8 meteorologists.
Get the latest forecast here
That's because of warmer pavement temperatures. Conditions on bridges and overpasses, however, may change quickly as they get colder first. ODOT in a Wednesday news release warned drivers to be "extra alert."
Drivers are again reminded not to crowd the plows. Drivers struck 22 snow plows last winter, and 26 snow plows the prior winter, according to the release.
"When these crashes occur, it takes important snow-fighting equipment off the road, forcing other plows in the area to extend their routes," reads the release. "Unfortunately, when someone does hit a snow plow, they are more likely to be injured than the plow driver, which is why it is very important that motorists give crews plenty of room to work."
‘Unsung heroes’: ODOT, Turnpike prepare for 1st snow
Here's what the state transportation department is working with this year, by the numbers:
Nearly 3,000 drivers often working 12-hour shifts, including 500 seasonal drivers
1,700 trucks that have each had a "rigorous" 150-point inspection
More than 810,000 tons of salt
More than 4.5 million gallons of liquid de-icer
More than 43,000 lane miles on state and U.S. routes and interstates -- excluding the turnpike
Last year, ODOT crews drove 4.8 million miles and put down about 371,000 tons of salt and 10.3 million gallons of de-icer.