Plows are getting a once over and fluids getting topped off before they start tackling the roads when the first snowflake falls early Wednesday morning. They also had tanker trucks out, putting salt brine on the primary roads to help clear them later. With heavy wet snow expected, the trucks will be moving slower, so District 1 officials ask that you give the snow plows their space.

If you had a plow, you were putting it to use Thursday, as the snow showers started last night and are not expected to stop until Thursday night or early Friday morning. ODOT in Allen County has 17 plows on the road, and the drivers are running 12 hours shifts working to stay ahead of the snow. While the new snow is a concern, plow drivers are worried about what is coming over the next 24 hours that could make their job even tougher.

We owe a lot to snow plow drivers during inclement weather, but as the temperature falls how much harder does that job get? Our area was hit with many inches of snow combined with heavy winds and freezing temperatures. In Lima on Monday, the temperature fell to -11 degrees. There is a point where salt becomes less effective. Thus, costing more time and patience for those working on the roadways.

The first major snow of the winter hit our area this week and plows and salt trucks were out in full force.

When winter weather is about to hit, it is all hands on deck at the ODOT garage in Allen county, and they make sure they plan ahead.

"We'll be plowing, treating, and we have liquid in all of our trucks so they'll be spraying brine along with the salt," said Brian Rader, Transportation Manager for ODOT District 1. "We started yesterday going through the trucks and then we brought our first crew in at 7 this morning and they finished going through the trucks, getting them loaded, and then it started snowing finally."

Once the snow starts falling, the trucks hit the state roads clearing snow and treating the pavement but usually in plowing conditions it takes time to see the effects.