HARRISBURG - As the latest winter storm rolls into the area, crews are preparing to keep the roads clear, but for anyone expecting the major highways to be treated, there's a reason why that was kept to a minimum.
"With the onset as rain, it actually works against us, or it's wasteful," Mike Crochunis of PennDOT said. "We want that moisture out there, but we don't want that moisture to freeze and that's going to be the tough little dance."
As rain moved into the area Monday night, PennDOT crews in the FOX43 viewing area began to treat the highways with pure salt. Secondary routes got more of a mixture to provide additional traction for drivers.
Conversely, "as the storm rolls in, if it becomes a drier snowy blowaround, we're going to need to pre-wet our salt so that it can work as soon as it hits the ground," Crochunis said.
The biggest goal for PennDOT crews is to ensure those highways remain clear.
"We want to keep those open for interstate travel and anyone that's driving the long haul to be able to get to those routes and to move through the region and then we go from there," Crochunis said.