UDOT crews keep busy despite seemingly slow winter so far

Jan 7, 2025, 6:00 AM

FILE: Snow plows remove the snow in Big Cottonwood Canyon. Some snow plow drivers in Utah are looki...

FILE: Some snow plow drivers in Utah are looking forward to a new snow season, and hopeful it will be as good as the 2023-2024 season. Others are hoping for a calmer year. (Scott G. Winterton/Deseret News)

(Scott G. Winterton/Deseret News)

BY MIKE ANDERSON

KSLNewsRadio

COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — The 2024-25 winter has been unusual compared to the previous two, to say the least.

For Utah Department of Transportation plow crews, that has meant a slight adjustment in workload.

Shawn Wright, a supervisor for the department’s Cottonwood main station, says even by noon today, there was little snow to move.

“It’s definitely been a strange winter,” Wright said. “It’s been really slow, but it’s started picking up. We’ve got, I don’t know 3 or 4 feet in the last week or so. It’s definitely getting better.”

That’s not to say snow plow operators at UDOT are left with nothing to do.

During seemingly slower winters like this one so far, workers take the opportunity to spend more time on things that get put on the back burner during heavy snow years.

“We’re able to continue doing our normal maintenance activities,” Wright explained. “We’re constantly cleaning drains, (doing) litter pick-ups, responding to crashes.”

Wright also points out that drivers should realize that the typical winter hazards are not gone. Wet roads have in some areas led to black ice, which can be harder to clear for plow crews.

“You definitely want to use caution in this type of weather,” Wright said. “It’s definitely unusual. People aren’t used to it. And it doesn’t take long before you’re in a bad situation.”

In the meantime, the department’s plow drivers are also getting more time to prepare, and Wright says they are ready.

“We’re on call 24-7,” Wright said “And as the weather changes, we just shift from doing those other activities to snow falling, which is a priority, and making sure the roads are clear and people are able to get to their destination safely.”