Times Observer photos by Brian Ferry PennDOT crews from the maintenance shed in Starbrick have been preparing equipment for snow and ice.

Winter is coming, at least according to PennDOT.

Crews from the maintenance shed in Starbrick will be less visible for a while. They are spending time this month preparing for snow and ice.

“Employees at our maintenance units in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties will continue to work on patching roads, clearing brush, ditching, and other maintenance activities as time and conditions permit,” according to District 1 Safety Press Officer Saxon Daugherty. “Their primary focus, however, will be on winter maintenance preparations and operations, and keeping roads safe and passable.”

“It takes about a month,” Maintenance Manager Adam Elms said. “We start assembling winter plow trucks the beginning of October and have them all prepped by the close of October.”

“We also start filling salt bins, anti-skid piles, and salt brine tanks in October,” Elms said. “Crews change to winter stockpile (on Nov. 1) so we are prepared for 24-hour coverage if needed.”

The department will be ready in case of a Halloween snowstorm, he said.