It may not yet technically be winter, but with temperatures steadily dropping to freezing or below in the coming weeks, the Dexter Street Department is making sure it's prepared.
"From what I can tell, we're right at the line of above average or below average temperatures for the winter," Street Department Supervisor Jeff Myers said. "Where we're positioned, it's pretty much impossible to know what to anticipate."
While meteorologists everywhere prognosticate as to how severe the coming winter might be, Myers said he carefully watches the current forecast in order to be ready.
"We can have our trucks ready to go within 24 hours of getting a forecast," he explained. "So, we watch very carefully to make sure we know what might happen."
As of now, the department already has 3,000 gallons of salt brine solution mixed and ready if needed.
"It won't take any time at all for us to get all this on the trucks and start making more," he said. "Once the winter starts, we'll have 3,000 gallons constantly ready to go at all times."
Myers explained that his department faces two primary difficulties during winter months: extremely deep, heavy snow, and ice that gets packed on the road surfaces.
"We don't have the big trucks like the state uses," Myers said. "We have to use smaller trucks to navigate through the roads in town and get into smaller areas. We can't cut the layers like the state's equipment can."
While he says the street department does its best to stay prepared at all times, Myers advises that sometimes people need to just not get out in bad weather.
"I understand that emergencies come up, and that can't be avoided," Myers remarked. "But, I see a lot of different vehicles in ditches, and they probably shouldn't have been out driving in the bad conditions."
Myers went on to explain that his department has five plow trucks and two spreader beds that will be used during winter weather, in addition to having a surplus of salt from the previous year.
"We didn't use as much salt as we thought we would last year," Myers said. "Once we get everything set up, we run everything to make sure there aren't any mechanical issues."
Myers also noted that, while not every town attempts to clear all roads during winter weather, the city of Dexter does.
"We clear everything we can," Myers remarked. "We even clear bridges and overpasses."
With temperatures expected to drop while following rainy weather, Myers advised that motorists be on the lookout for thin sheets of ice on the roadways.
"That's always a concern," he said. "We hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. It's really all we can do. But we make sure that we're as prepared as we can be."