Another weekend, another snowstorm.
Iowans are bracing for moderate to heavy snowfall for the second consecutive Saturday.
Last weekend’s pre-winter blast dumped more than 16 inches of snow on parts of Iowa, and in the midst of it, five state snowplows were rear-ended by motorists.
Iowa DOT winter operations administrator Craig Bargfrede is pleading with drivers to be vigilant and go slow — or don’t go out.
“People need to make sure that you’re back into the mindset of winter driving,” Bargfrede says. “Give us room, operate your vehicle very cautiously when operating around a snow plow. Remember, we travel at much slower speeds. We can make abrupt movements.”
Lack of good visibility is often one of the serious challenges of wintertime driving, and he urges extreme caution as you approach a plow from behind.
“Depending upon the type of snow,” he says, “we can kick up a cloud around us that at times can actually blind you from seeing that truck.”
While no serious injuries were reported in last weekend’s plow-involved accidents, he says there’s no excuse for even one such collision.
“Please, please, please, we just can’t say enough about safety and operating your vehicle around a snow plow,” Bargfrede says. “Give us room. Be patient with us. Those men and women that are operating those plows, they’re a husband, they’re a wife, they’re a father, they’re a brother, and they’re just trying to do the best job available and get home to their family safely at the end of the day.”
Forecasters say the approaching system may drop three to seven inches of snow across much of the state starting Saturday afternoon, potentially impacting travel. Check road conditions at the DOT’s 511ia.org.
