Think of it like the opposite of Groundhog Day. Sure, it鈥檚 only a drill. But with snowplows coming out of the garage and hitting the streets of Prince George鈥檚 County, Maryland, maybe that’s a sign that winter’s imminent.
鈥淲e鈥檙e preparing so that if it snows tomorrow, we鈥檙e ready to go,鈥� said Paulette Jones, a spokeswoman for the Prince George鈥檚 County Department of Public Works and Transit. 鈥淲e want to always be prepared and so we鈥檙e being proactive. We鈥檙e doing our dry run today.鈥�
A dry run includes sending plows and drivers out on the snow routes to make sure that all the equipment works and that the roads are ready for the next batch of sloppy, slushy muck and ice.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been fortunate that we鈥檝e had mild winters, but we really don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 going to happen each season,” Jones said. “No matter what happens we just always want to be prepared. We know that at some point we鈥檙e probably due for a significant snow.鈥�
That鈥檚 why Santos Turcius was getting behind the wheel of a monstrous, 29,000-pound plow Friday morning, checking everything from the blade of the plow to the CB radio that keeps him connected to the command center.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e clear, Santos,鈥� said the dispatcher as he drove past some houses on Laura Lane in District Heights. He thanked the dispatcher before getting ready to make a turn.
鈥淲e get to inspect every single road for potholes, any debris, any division that we can see that needs some attention 鈥� we can report it,鈥� Turcius said. 鈥淪o we can get it fixed and be ready for a snow event.鈥�
By the time winter does roll around, county residents will be able to get real time road conditions and an update on where plows have been and where they鈥檙e going, thanks to the PGC Trip Mobile app, available on and
But for now, again, this was only a drill.
