Winter weather in Washington means snowplows are out in full force!
The Washington Department of Transportation says plow drivers are either clearing roads of ice and snow or treating them before it comes their way.
“It’s like the hurry up and wait game. You come in here, you get loaded, you get loaded like it’s gonna snow all night long and then you go out and you just wait for it to happen,” said Chad Perry, Assistant Maintenance Operations Superintendent with WSDOT.
Perry says they planned for this winter storm months ago. Plow drivers, like himself, have been working 12-hour shifts to treat the roads at all times of the day.
At the Kent Maintenance Yard, Perry says they fuel up, fill up with sand and salt, and then hit the streets.
Freeways, bridges, and overpasses are their main priorities.
“When they hear someone on the radio getting snow somewhere else you don’t leave your beat right because you need to be there cause it’s coming to you next,” he said.
But if an area does need some more attention, WSDOT spokesperson Aisha Dayal says they’ll shift resources to where they need to go.
“We also work with different partners like Washington state patrol, and different reports of you know like- this area is a little bit differently so we adjust resources as needed and we’re able to help cover different things,” Dayal explained.
To help crews out, Perry urges drivers to keep their distance and plan extra time so they’re not rushing.
“We got a job to do and our job is to make it so you can get where you’re going safe. We wanna go home safe and we’d appreciate it if people just stayed away,” he said.
©2025 Cox Media Group
