HARRISBURG — Last winter, aggressive driving was a factor in 440 crashes on snowy, slushy or ice-covered roadways in Pennsylvania. Those crashes caused one fatality and 221 injuries.

Officials from three state agencies gathered Monday to announce the plan to tackle this winter season and announce tools the public can use to help deal with the weather.

Butler County is not immune to winter weather-related accidents. In 2018, PennDOT data show, 99 crashes in the county occurred on snow-covered roads. Another 57 took place on slushy roads, 42 on icy roads and 39 on roads with icy patches.

In Butler County, 2018 brought two accidents on roads with patches of ice that caused major injuries. One was in December in Center Township, while the other was in April in Muddy Creek Township. The Center Township accident involved a speeding driver.

One wreck on a snow-covered road involved a major injury. That wreck occurred in Muddy Creek Township in February.

“Our No. 1 priority is safety and that guides our winter preparations and operations,” said Leslie Richards, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation secretary. “We are ready for the season ahead and want the public to prepare and be aware of the tools available to them.”

Joining Richards was Mark Compton, Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission's CEO, and Randy Padfield, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency's director.

Know the road

The public can access travel information on nearly 40,000 state-maintained roadway miles year-round at www.511PA.com, and during the winter you can find plow truck locations and details of when state-maintained roadways were last plowed.

At 511PA.com, Butler County residents can watch live updates of PennDOT plows as state roads are cleared. The information is beamed out of more than 2,500 plow trucks using cellular signals.

Motorists can expect additional enhancements to 511PA throughout the winter season, Richards said.

“We started winter planning after the last season ended, and we encourage the public to not only take advantage of these travel tools, but also make sure they're prepared as well,” Richards said. “Winter maintenance is a critical and difficult task, and motorists are partners in making this season a safe one.”

To help the public prepare for the season and share information about winter services, PennDOT offers operational information and traveler resources at www.penndot.gov/winter.

511PA is also available through a free smart phone application for iPhone and Android devices by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

Cold-weather watch

Sunday morning brought a frost advisory for Butler County, according to National Weather Service of Pittsburgh meteorologist Lee Hendricks, and some areas of the county ended up frosting over.

“It was scattered throughout the region,” Hendricks said. “Generally, low-lying areas are the spots where you would get the frost.”

Still, frost-tinged ground isn't a sign of impending snow, he explained. Hendricks said everyone in his office would likely make a different guess, but that he doesn't believe the region will see any snow arriving until the end of November or early December.

“Right now, we're sitting at slightly above normal for temperatures,” Hendricks said. “We're looking at keeping that trend, possibly for much of the end of the year.”

Last winter, the NWS added snow squall warnings to its repertoire. These are short-lived weather events in northern Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania during which bursts of heavy snow and strong gusty winds can seriously impede traffic. Visibility must be reduced to a quarter of a mile or less for an event to qualify.

Turnpike update

This winter, the Turnpike Commission is prepared to battle the elements as well, with 380 trucks, plows and salt spreaders and 400 licensed equipment operators ready to activate 24/7 staffing this fall.

Its goal is to keep the Turnpike system as free of snow and ice as possible, but motorists too have a responsibility to know their own winter driving skills and their vehicle's performance, officials stressed.

“Our professional crews work hard, but they cannot perform miracles. Winter storms are a fact of life in our region, and drivers may have impractical expectations, especially early in the season; never assume roads will be free of ice and snow during and after a blizzard,” Compton said.

“Remember, wintertime driving requires reducing your speed to well below the posted limit, even in an all-wheel or four-wheel drive. Recognize that getting there is going to take longer — perhaps considerably longer,” he said.

Statewide

With $223 million budgeted for this winter's statewide operations, PennDOT deploys about 4,500 on-the-road workers, has more than 620,000 tons of salt on hand across the state and will take salt deliveries throughout the winter.

PennDOT plans to hire more than 500 temporary equipment operators statewide for the winter season to supplement the department's full-time staff.

In addition to brushing off their winter driving skills, motorists should prepare for potential bad weather by ensuring they have supplies in their cars before heading out: food, water, blankets, extra gloves and hats, cell phone chargers, hand or foot warmers, windshield brush and scraper and any specialized items, such as medications or baby and pet supplies.

“We know that winter weather can hit hard and fast in Pennsylvania,” Padfield said. “But if we know it's coming, we can prepare for it, and we all have a role to play in making sure our loved ones are ready for winter driving.”