PennDOT crews prepared as winter storm hits PA
(WBRE/WYOU) — Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) crews spent all day preparing for the storm by pre-treating highways, monitoring conditions, and getting plows ready to go.
Before the wintry mix even hit the ground, PennDOT crews were already in full preparation mode.
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'We're continuously monitoring the weather, maintaining that situational awareness, with this storm we're getting a mixture of snow and ice which makes it a little bit trickier to make sure we're utilizing the right material at the right time,' said PennDOT District 4 Acting Maintenance Services Engineer Kaitlyn Drumheller.
Officials say when ice is involved, they will focus more on treating roads rather than plowing since ice isn't always plowable.
'During a storm, you'll see our operators spreading a different combination of salt to help melt the snow and ice-skid, to add that friction to the surface, and then also, we're pre-wetting it so when they are spreading that material, it stays within the roadway surface,' Drumheller explained.
VIDEO: Snow already falling across NEPA
PennDOT also activated its Incident Command Center (ICC) where crews get a bird's eye view of roads across the state, allowing them to track problem areas in real-time.
'So you'll have individuals monitoring our traffic cameras, monitoring speed restrictions, talking with our actual county folks that are going to be on the ground driving the routes to determine when restrictions need to go into place and what kind of support they need from us at the district office to actual out in the field personnel,' Drumheller continued.
PennDOT announces speed restrictions as winter storm rolls into PA
While PennDOT was preparing, so were residents like Bill Thomas from Scranton, stocking up on salt to stay ahead of the storm.
'Just getting ready for it, gotta get some salt and get ready to clean it up,' Thomas said.
'So you're getting rock salt, you have your shovels, you're all good?' 28/22 News Reporter Kathryn Oleary asked.
'Yeah yeah, pretty well set,' Thomas replied.
Crews will continue plowing through the night to keep roads clear, but PennDOT asks drivers to avoid unnecessary travel.
If you must be on the road, keep speed restrictions in mind so you and other drivers on the roads stay safe.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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