Town of Thompson Highway Superintendent Richard Benjamin, Jr. shares facts and tips to help you get through another Catskills winter – safely!

1. The Town utilizes a fleet of 12 large plow trucks to clear the snow and ice from 150 miles of town roads.

2. We use the latest technology and modern, cost-effective methods to keep our roads safe in the winter months with the least impact on the environment.

3. Prior to a storm, our crews pre-treat all the main routes in town with salt slurry (salt highly pre-wetted with liquid calcium chloride) to break the bond of frozen precipitation to the pavement.

4. Plow runs take 2.5 to 3.5 hours to complete. So snow may accumulate on the roadways between runs.

5. Shovel or plow your driveway “downstream” so the plow does not redeposit the snow in your driveway.

6. Plows are fixed to plow only to the right. Everyone gets their “fair share”.

7. The Town is not responsible for mailboxes or damages to other obstructions in the right of way. As a courtesy, we may replace or repair your box if we accidentally damage it.

8. Do not plow snow back into the street! This is against the law and dangerous to motorists.

9. Municipal snow removal equipment has the right of way in all traffic situations.

10. If you meet an oncoming plow on a narrow road just stop safely and let it pass.

11. Never follow a snowplow too closely or attempt to pass one. Drive well behind a snowplow where the road has been freshly cleared.

12. Adjust speed for road conditions and schedule extra time for winter travel.

13. Use extra caution on bridges, as they freeze more quickly than road surfaces.

14. Have a cell phone handy but do not text while driving; texting while driving is dangerous and illegal, but it becomes even more dangerous during storms.

15. Equip your car with emergency supplies, including shovel, flares, jumper cables, rope, ice scraper, portable radio, flashlight, blankets and extra warm clothes.

16. Inform a responsible person of your destination, intended route, and estimated time of arrival.

17. Winterize your vehicle by checking windshield wipers, filling washer fluid and maintaining good tire tread or by installing snow tires.