Snowplows In Colorado's High Country Push Through Late Season Storms: 'Spring Time Is Rough'
SILVERTHORNE, Colo. (CBS4) - The rigs on Colorado Department of Transportation snowplows never fully come off in the high country. Crews know they have to be ready for anything.
"We're always prepared and ready for snow up until about mid-June here in Colorado," Summit County's CDOT Supervisor Dean Decker explained.
Teams have been running spots like Vail Pass and the Eisenhower Tunnel as more late season snow drops. Now, there's more snow in the forecast, and crews know it might not be the last of the season still.
"We have several pieces of equipment that will keep buckled up for snow removal," Decker said. "We use those for rock removal or some flooding if we have on the minor roads hail, but also combine those with snow removal and have other trucks ready for asphalt repairs and things of that nature."
Late spring is especially challenging for plow crews, bouncing between the schedule of winter and summer on a whim.
Right now, Decker said he has more job openings than drivers right now. CDOT has struggled with driver shortages for years now, but the teams make due with what they have.
"They are ready to come off our snow schedules which are a little longer night shifts back to day shifts," Decker said. "Spring time is rough. We're kind of bouncing, going from days to nights and back to days, but we try to make that work for them."
During this rough time period, CDOT asked for patience while crews get the job done across the state and added a little "thank you" never hurts.
"...And knowing when they see us and our plow and just stay away, stay back, give us our room to do our job."