SIOUX CITY, IA -
Wind and snow make for a typical Siouxland winter, but so far you could say we've been lucky, the weather hasn't been too bad.
Right now trucks and plows, the Iowa DOT's weapons against winter, haven't had a whole lot to do as they wait for the next big storm.
"That saves us a lot of work," said Tony Cogdill, Iowa DOT Highway Maintenance Supervisor for the Sioux City Area Thursday, talking about the nearly unseasonable weather.
But in the last few weeks and months, crews haven't been sitting idle.
The DOT goes on winter alert October 15th, mainly using an anti-ice trailer and quite a few gallons of saltwater brine.
Road crews in Northwest Iowa put down more than 600,000 gallons of the stuff each year.
So far they've been spraying it on bridges when it's frosty, making roadways safer for drivers.
But when winter does hit, the inside of this truck becomes a home away from home for those drivers.
"Our guys put in quite a bit of time, usually twelve hour shifts," said Cogdill. "They spend plenty of time in the truck."
And for now folks with the DOT don't have a problem with the weather as is.
If it begins to look a lot like winter outside, the DOT has a tip for you.
If you see ice and snow take it slow, and don't crowd the plow.
If you want to check out up to the minute road conditions before you travel, the Iowa DOT can help out.
You can call 511 at any time in the state of Iowa to hear road conditions, or you can visit any of these web sites:
www.dotweatherview.com
www.511ia.org
www.iowaroadconditions.org
