MnDOT urges safety as plows ready to hit the streets

An unusually balmy fall has made one common roadway sight scarce: The state's 771 snow plows have remained mostly parked.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation says the plows haven't been deployed much because the warm weather has kept snow and ice at bay.

Officials say crews are ready to go if storms forecast for this week hit. They say motorists also need to ready themselves for leaving room for plows that can be twice as wide as a semi truck.

According to MnDOT, there were 103 snowplow/vehicle crashes during last year's winter driving season. Twenty seven were cases where a motorist crashed into the back of a plow.

The agency's safety tips recommend that drivers keep five car lengths or more behind a plow and never drive through snow clouds created by plows.