(WXYZ) — A big storm is expected to hit metro Detroit at the end of the week, starting with wet weather Thursday. Road crews are preparing for a challenge as the rain is expected to turn to snow.
Tony Bonner, who's been a truck driver for more than 20 years, said he's currently a courier for the big three. So, he keeps an eye on the forecast and is already in the know about what he may be driving through in a few days.
“It’s not about how fast you can get there. It’s about how safe you can get there," Bonner told 7 Action News. “When it come, I'm going to take my time. Whereas it might take me an hour to get here, it might take me two, three hours. That’s how I do it."
Like Bonner, area road commissions are preparing to navigate and clear slick roads.
Craig Bryson with the Oakland County Road Commission said, “The big question for us right now is when the rain will turn to snow, and we can’t do anything while it’s raining. That's the critical moment for us. So, we want to watch that really closely.”
He said the goal is to dispatch crews as close to that moment as possible.
“One of the big concerns is when the temperature starts to drop, if they get too low, then the salt begins to lose its effectiveness," Bryson explained.
On top of that, road commissions say high winds dry out the roads more quickly. That causes the roads to ice over much more quickly after salt is poured.
Heavy winds can also cause snow to drift.
Leo Ciavatta with the Macomb County Department of Roads said holiday travel may pose a challenge.
"The more congestion there is, the more difficult it is for us to salt the pavement. So basically with stuff like that, it's hard for our guys to get salt applied to the roadways because they have to stop and start and stop and start and stop and start. So, if it does freeze after midnight we're able to come in and cover up places with salt down," Ciavatta explained.
He added, “We’ll probably have a split shift if it goes through the weekend, but we’ll be on call 24/7 and we’ll be here until the roads are clear.”
Bonner said, “You got to know how to adjust to it. When that snow hit the ground and that ground is wet, you got to know how to slow down.”
On that note, road commissions say don't "crowd the plow." Drivers are encouraged to give crews enough space to work and to give themselves enough reaction time.
