OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — West Michigan crews have been working around the clock to make sure the roads are clear and remain safe for drivers.
Alex Doty from Ottawa County Road Commission said crews have been working since four in the morning and with the constant snowfall, they plan to continue through the night.
"It's been kind of a battle all day long, just, you know, varying conditions and different situations, depending on where you're at or around. It's been a pretty busy 24 hours for our crew, especially this morning, as the snow definitely picked up during the morning hours," said Doty.
On Monday, Ottawa County Emergency Management posted an update on the winter storm to their social media page—stating that the winter storm warning will be in effect until 7 a.m. on Tuesday instead of 1 a.m.
With the heavy snow impacting the roads, Alex Doty from Ottawa County Road Commission said crews have been working nonstop to make sure driving conditions are safe.
"Our morning crew came in, four o'clock this morning, and they've been hitting heavy on the State routes. For the most of the morning, we've been focused on keeping those primary roads open, and then throughout the day we've been able to work our way through and kind of get back into some of those more local areas for folks," said Doty.
Allegan, Van Buren and Ottawa counties will continue to be affected by the heavy snowfall with some areas seeing 10 to 15 inches of snow already.
Doty said crews have been applying a mixture of salt and sand as well as scraping the roads to improve driving conditions. He said the snowfall could impact visibility while driving, so it's best to give yourself some extra time and distance on the roads.
"Just be more mindful this time of year, it's our first kind of big snowfall, so kind of refresh yourself with some of those winter driving tips, slow down, stay off your phone, avoid distractions, drive a little bit slower, and back off the plow when you see it," said Doty.