Dayton prepares for winter weather as temps drop; No snow plows out yet

Temperatures near freezing swept through the Miami Valley Monday, giving a preview of what winter could bring.

It may seem early, but crews across the area are already gearing up for winter weather.

“We’re in the process of making sure all of our trucks are operational, we’re checking the plows, we’re making sure mechanically the trucks are prepared. So we normally deploy what we call a full operation, probably about 45 trucks,” Fred Stovall, director of Public Works for Dayton said.

Stovall said the city has 8,000 tons of salt ready to deploy.

He said last year’s mild winter meant his crews only had to use about 6,200 tons, with the most amount of salt being used in February.

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“Nobody knows what Mother Nature brings so we’re in a good position until we understand what the forecast is going to bring pretty much day to day,” Stovall said.

After a quick blast of cold this week, temperatures are expected to warm back up later this week.

“This is just Ohio one week it’s 70 and sunny the next week it’s 40 and I can’t feel my nose,” Zack Davis, a freshman at the University of Dayton said.

News Center 7 reached out to the Ohio Department of Transportation to see if they would have any crews out Monday night.

A spokesperson said they are monitoring bridges and overpasses but at this time the pavement temperatures are in the upper 40s — above freezing.

Stovall reminded people to give themselves extra time on the roads when snow or ice is in the forecast.

If you are driving this winter and see snow plows stay at least 50 feet away from them.