Delaware snow plows readied for winter

After a winter’s worth of snow many of us would like to forget, DelDOT is getting its snow plows ready for the next onslaught of snowy conditions.

The official start of the winter season is still nearly two months away, but workers in the Delaware Department of Transportation are already preparing for what could be another slippery few months on the roads.

On Friday morning, workers inspected plows, dump trucks and other heavy equipment used in the snow removal process.  The state has 446 pieces of equipment for snow operations, that includes heavy duty snow plows attached to 6 and 10-wheeled dump trucks. 

DelDOT’s top capacity for salt storage is about 65,000 tons which is spread out among 20 locations statewide. Up to 500 employees are available to be called into action during a storm.

DelDOT maintains about 12,900 total lane miles which make up about 89 percent of the roads in Delaware.

In the 2014-15 winter season, Delaware and the region saw multiple snow storms that caused driving bans, cancellations and other headaches for residents. The Delaware Department of Education recommended schools forgive up to six school days missed because of bad weather.

The state saw more than 18 days of measurable snow fall with another 15 days with a trace of snow that was too small to measure. 

The snow plows are ready though.  How does that make you feel?