MnDOT Preparing For First Big Snow In Twin Cities

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The first big snow of the season is coming to the Twin Cities metro area on Monday.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is urging drivers to be prepared.

MnDOT Communications Director Kevin Gutknecht is asking drivers to make sure their vehicles are ready to weather the snow.

"This is going to be a challenge and I think folks need to start preparing themselves, mentally," Gutknecht said.

Gutknecht urged drivers to check windshield wipers, fluids, tire air pressure and pack ice scrapers in their cars. At this point, this winter, Minnesotans have had 1.3 inches of snow in the Twin Cities metro.

Last winter by this time, there was 9.4 inches of snow in the Twin Cities; closer to average.

MnDOT already pretreated highways when small amounts of snow were set to fall last week.

"We put some salt down so there is some residual salt on the roadways," Gutknecht said.

MnDOT hopes the bulk of the snow will not fall during peak hours of traffic.

"Our plows can only move as fast as traffic allows," Gutknecht said.

MnDOT is also revealing new way for drivers to track the roads they hope to travel. A new system on the MnDOT website allows drivers to look at real time photos of from 92 traffic cameras across the state.

"If you decide to go visit Grandma up in Alexandria and there is a snowstorm, you can look at the roads that you would take and cameras on those roads and decide what it looks like," Gutknecht said.

Snow plows will begin operating as soon as there is enough snow to remove on the roads on Monday.