During a Wyoming winter storm, the snow can whirl up in a cloud of white, nearly making the highway invisible. Rather than slowing down, there are those impatient motorists that will drive into this cloud of white at speeds greater than what the conditions call for.
Unfortunately, the cloud is not always what it seems. Chances are, it was created by a giant snowplow.
The message from the snowplow drivers across Wyoming is simple. When you see a snowplow or a giant cloud of white, slow down and back off.
There have already been nine accidents this winter season with vehicles crashing into the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) snowplows. Most of these accidents occurred on the interstates in the southern section of the state from drivers following too closely and crashing into the back of these giant machines.
“It's a continuous effort this time of year to tell people that these snowplows are out there making the roads safer for everyone,” Cody Beers of WYDOT said. “We use phrases like don't crowd the plow and don't pass the plow just to remind folks to give the plows plenty of room to operate.”
Beers said that one of his goals is to humanize the plow and remind motorists that the plow is being operated by a person who has a family that is counting on them to get home safely. He understands that everybody wants to get there as fast as possible, but that it runs contrary to what's going on in a snowstorm.
“When you're getting mad at the plow, remember that he just wants to do his job in the safest manner possible,” Beers said. “It just makes it more difficult when people get very impatient.”
Doug McGee, the Public Affairs Officer agrees. He has seen many accidents caused by driver distraction and driving too fast for conditions.
“If you're driving down the road and you cloud of snow ahead of you, don't just drive into that,” he said. “Stay back. Let that cloud die down and see what is causing it.”
Drive With Caution
Shane Wilson, the maintenance foreman at Thermopolis, said that part of the problem is that during a storm, when the snowplow is needed the most, visibility is low.
There is often a big whiteout of snow behind them as they plow. He cautions that drivers should go slower than normal in these snow conditions even if they don’t see a plow immediately.
He described how one of the plow operators was plowing the highway up Tensleep Canyon earlier this season and a motorist was coming the opposite direction. The smaller vehicle slid into the front part of the plow. Fortunately, both drivers were not hurt, but it is these type of accidents that WYDOT is trying to avoid.
“Most of the accidents, though, are people rear-ending the snowplows because they’re following too close,” Wilson said. “We're trying to push the message that when we're out there, just try to back off and be patient.”
A Stressful Job
The massive snowplows have a front plow on them and a right-hand side wing. The plow operator is not only driving through the storms but also is controlling two plows. Off to the side of the seat, there is a mount with three joysticks. The operator uses these to control the plows as they maneuver down the highway.
One joystick operates the front plow, moving it up and down and side to side. The middle joystick is for the wing plow to boom it out and lower it down, up and down. The third joystick is for the dump box.
“So, this snowplow operator has all three joysticks, has to drive and then is trying to deal with the weather condition,” Wilson said. “Also, you have the traffic coming in and out. This can be very overwhelming.”
Depending on the storm itself, the visibility is at times very poor with the wind blowing and causing a whiteout. Not only are the drivers operating a giant machine, but they are having trouble even seeing the highway in front of them.
“All those factors add up for it to be a very stressful job,” Wilson said. “In Thermopolis, we are also pulling 12-hour shifts during a storm which tires you out when you're stuck in that truck.”
Don’t Be An Idiot
The plows are going 35 to 45 mph when plowing the highway with poor visibility.
“To plow safely, we are going fairly slow,” Wilson said. “We're plowing everything off and it’s usually in a cloud of snow.”
The drivers ask that when you see some snow fly off the back of a snowplow, back off. This is for both your own safety and for the snowplow safety, too. Most accidents occur when the motorists get into this snow cloud and crash into the back of the snowplow.
Another issue the snowplow drivers have is when motorist try to pass on the right side. These drivers need to be aware that there is a wing plow on that side. This side plow sticks out another 6 to 8 feet that impatient drivers could run into.
“Generally, conditions in front of the plow are worse than conditions behind the plow, so it is safest to be patient,” McGee said. “A distracted driver on icy roads is even more dangerous than usual. So let's put the phones down. Stay focused on the road.”
“You want to slow down and put extra space between you and the vehicle in front of you,” Beers said. “The ultimate tragedy would be to kill someone.”
He advises motorists to plan ahead. Not only should you leave early for your destination but also consult the official government websites such as the National Weather Service, the Wyoming 511 app and wyoroad.info.
“I would encourage people to use that information and not use second and third hand Information they may read on the internet because our snow conditions are being reported by our snowplowdrivers,” Beers said. “I read the road condition reports from amateurs on the internet all the time, and it makes me extremely nervous.”
In Wyoming, the weather can be drastically different just a few miles away from where you begin traveling.
“It's been a really mild start to the winter in Wyoming so it can be easy to let your guard down and underestimate what the weather could be like,” Jordan Young, the Deputy Public Affairs Officer for WYDOT, said. “It might be sunny and beautiful in Cheyenne, but just a few miles away, it could be whiteout conditions from a ground blizzard.”
Those at WYDOT all agree that getting upset at a piece of iron rolling down the highway does not benefit anyone. The snowplow drivers are just doing their job which is trying to make the roadway safer.
Jackie Dorothy can be reached at jackie@cowboystatedaily.com.
