As Washington County is expected to see another round of snowfall this Friday, residents are reminded to drive safely and take added precautions even if roads have been cleared.

Washington County Engineer Jacob Thorius says that if the county experiences one inch of accumulation or more, crews will be sent out to clear and salt the roads. As the day progresses, he asks that residents remain patient as mother nature does not always cooperate, “Last year we had some storm events with some pretty good wind. We bladed a road and were called and asked, ‘When are you going to come and open this road?’ And we asked, ‘Where was it at?’ and said, ‘We were there two hours ago.’ The people that were out there couldn’t tell that we had been there, it had just blown shut that quick. That’s hard, it’s a continuing losing battle. ” soundbite looks too long

Thorius added that the secondary road crews operate between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. and work their way out from the city of Washington. He says that with higher traffic levels, paved roads will take priority over gravel roads. As a safety measure for residents and plow operators, Thorius encourages residents to slow down, give themselves more time to travel and not to crowd the plows when on the road.