CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) maintenance crews in Preston and other counties in the West Virginia highlands are ready for the first snowfall of the season.

Preston, Monongalia, Taylor, Harrison, and Doddridge counties typically get snow earlier than other counties in West Virginia, with an average of 86 inches a year in the higher elevations. Officials with the National Weather Service predict the highlands could see their first dusting of snow as early as Monday, Oct. 17, 2022.

But WVDOH Acting District 4 Engineer Mike Daley said crews are ready when the snow comes.

“All of our snowplows and equipment is prepped and ready to go,” Daley said. “Our salt sheds are full, and our aggregate is ready.”

In District 4, where snowfall is often measured in feet rather than inches, Daley has 121 snowplows available, in addition to seven snowblowers and seven graders dedicated to clearing snow.

Snow Removal and Ice Control (SRIC) crews in all 55 counties go through dry runs in the fall to make sure the drivers are familiar with their snow-clearing routes. Many counties hold off until October, but crews in the highlands did their dry runs in September.

“We’ve already done all of our dry runs in all of our counties,” Daley said. “We anticipate snow in October. It happens every year.”