If you live in the mountains, have you ever gotten up in the morning to find the countryside covered with new fallen snow, yet the roads are clear? After a fresh snowfall have you wanted to drive up to the mountains to play in the snow, or to take your children sledding? You may have encountered a traffic jam, but the roads have already been plowed and sanded. That’s because when the snow starts falling, DPW crews start plowing and sanding.
Crews frequently work through the night to ensure the roads are safe and clear. They use an assortment of equipment including plows attached to two-yard, five-yard and even heavy duty pickup trucks. At times motorized graders are used to clear snow. After the snow is cleared, specially designed trucks are used to spread sand on any icy spots.
We’ve had more snow this past season than in recent years – which is good for the water supply in the reservoirs and aquifers. That extra snow has also kept DPW crews busy plowing the roadways in the mountains and even in the deserts.
The primary areas where DPW crews work at snow removal include Palomar Mountain, and on Mount Laguna along Sunrise Highway from State Route 79 to Old Highway 80. And when the temperature really dips, even though the Borrego Road Station is in the desert, the road crews there will be working in the Ranchita area, or on Montezuma Valley Road, San Felipe Valley Road, and Chihuahua Valley Road.
Sometimes, until the road can be cleared and travel is safe, the highway will be closed to traffic. These notices are posted at the roadway, on the DPW Emergency Page, on the DPW Facebook and Twitter accounts, and on local media websites.
At times during winter weather, DPW road crews will also post certain road advisories, such as “Chains Required,” or “Carry Chains.” Chains Required means you must have them installed on your tires. Carry chains means have them available in the event you reach a spot where regular tires are no longer allowed, and you must stop to install chains. At times the advisory will indicate that snow tires or 4x4 vehicles are OK. Still, it’s always good to be prepared. So carry the chains if you’re driving on the mountain roadways or along desert highways where it can snow. It’s also a good idea to take along some extra food and water, and a blanket – just in case.
Crews report that frequently while plowing the mountain roadways, they will come across a car parked in the middle of the road, or children sledding down the roadway. So be safe. If you go to the mountains, make sure you park in designated parking spots only, and don’t block the roadway or hinder the operation of the snow plows. Also, don’t allow your children to sled down the hillside and across the roadway, or worse sled down the middle of the roadway. You never know what traffic may be coming up the hill. It could be a snowplow!
So be safe. And next time you encounter a DPW road crew plowing the mountain highway, wave as you drive by. He or she just may have been out there all night making sure your journey is a pleasant and a safe one.
