The temperature is dropping all over the country, and winter weather is approaching.

The Indiana Department of Transportation urges people around Indiana to prepare.

Governor Eric Holcomb announced a winter weather preparation week in Indiana this week. INDOT, together with the National Weather Service and other agencies, encourages the public to use this week as a reminder to take steps to prepare for the harm caused by winter weather.

In order to travel safely, INDOT provides the following tips:

According to the National Weather Service, there are more than 66,000 variations in winter storms. Snow, ice, freezing rain and fog all pose challenges for winter travel. Even after pre-treatment and regular treatment during and after the storm, the road will become smooth. It is important to know the facts about INDOT's winter operations.

The maintenance staff will monitor the forecast in a few weeks and prepare for the winter storm based on the type of precipitation, the conditions leading to the winter storm, and the extended forecast after the storm.

The roads are pretreated with salt water and regularly treated with rock salt. At colder temperatures, separate salt and brine take longer to activate, so environmentally friendly chemicals are used to increase effectiveness. Snowplow drivers usually work 12 hours in shifts during storms, and it takes an average of two to three hours to complete the complete route.

For information on road conditions during winter storms, please visit indot.carsprogram.org or download the INDOT TrafficWise app for Apple and Android devices. You can also follow INDOT on social media to get regional information and other resources.

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