Statewide-Although the state has some winter weather in October, Colorado people enjoy warm temperatures and dry weather for most of the fall, but don’t be fooled. From today to Friday, Winter weather is knocking on the door, and motorists need to be ready for the official start of the winter driving season.

Some people may not think about the winter weather now, but the maintenance staff of the Colorado Department of Transportation consider the winter weather all year long. Maintenance personnel across the state have conducted various trainings for new employees and those who have worked for CDOT for decades. These trainings cover best practices, safety tips and promote effective winter preparation methods. All plows are inspected to ensure that they are in good condition in winter and that the snow protection materials are prepared for adverse conditions.

"We are introducing new maintenance staff through various methods before winter and have established a strong training program that allows employees to obtain a commercial driver's license as well as coaching, coaching and other standard training in the Denver metropolitan area," CDOT Maintenance Director John Lorme Say. "As part of this training program, trainees have 30 days to obtain their CDL teaching permit, and then obtain the full CDL after 60 days. This helps us not only attract but also retain dedicated employees who are fully capable of this winter. And maintain our roads in the future."

This winter, especially this week, the staff are not only preparing to remove snow and ice from the roads, but the CDOT avalanche team has been closely coordinating with the Colorado Avalanche Information Center to prepare for the upcoming avalanche season. CDOT's avalanche team has undergone extensive training, so they can appropriately ease nearly 200 slides across the state.

Lorme said: “Some people may not realize that CDOT is using various equipment to remove slides that may cover the highway, or worse, it is a danger to drivers.” Roads were closed all winter for our staff. Work with CAIC to reduce slipways to prevent any unplanned closure of the highway. We saw an active avalanche season earlier this year and hope to continue to urge motorists to use CAIC’s avalanche prediction map and CDOT’s COtrip.org website and COtrip Planner mobile app to find out if the road is closed before heading to the road. Or is it better to stay at home due to avalanche conditions. "

In late September 2021, CDOT launched a new, easy-to-use COtrip.org website that contains a new 511 map that allows drivers to safely drive on Colorado roads. The site provides some new features to help travelers plan their routes in advance and prepare for road or lane closures or unfavorable road conditions. In addition to the website, CDOT also launched a new COtrip Planner mobile application, designed to meet the growing trend of mobile and tablet devices to obtain road closure and detour information. The COtrip Planner app provides real-time traffic information across the state and is suitable for smartphones and tablets running on iOS and Android platforms.

Shoshana Lew, Executive Director of CDOT, said: “We hope to check the COtrip Planner app before getting in the car as a routine procedure, which will help prevent motorists from going out in challenging winter conditions.” You travel in Colorado , So it’s easy to check the road conditions and whether you feel comfortable driving during winter weather events. In addition to checking the road conditions through our camera or our traffic layer, you can also check the road conditions"

Thanks to the COtrip Planner mobile app and CDOT’s various winter driving resources that can be found here, drivers are now more prepared than ever. Although the general public with snow driving experience may not need a lot of annual training, it may be time to consider registering for courses for young people to help them drive safely in severe weather conditions. Adult drivers who have just arrived in Colorado can also find various courses to register to prepare for driving in snowy or icy conditions.

To be extra prepared for this season, motorists should bring blankets, water, flashlights, shovel, some nutrition bars or other food in their cars to make ends meet. Motorists should also consider storing sand to help gain traction, jumper cables, ice scrapers, and lock de-icers when the vehicle gets stuck on ice or snow. If all Colorado drivers know one thing, it is that during major snow and ice incidents, our interstate highways and interstate highways may be unprepared or unprepared during a storm due to poor driving conditions. Closed for safe driving behavior. Don't be caught off guard during the extended shutdown period.

For the latest winter driving resources, information and tips, please visit Winter.codot.gov.

The new free COtrip Planner mobile app is designed to meet the growing trend of the traveling public in obtaining information on mobile and tablet devices. The COtrip Planner app provides state-wide real-time traffic information and is suitable for mobile devices running on iOS and Android platforms. Visit the Google Play Store (Android device) or Apple Store (iOS device) to download!

Travelers are urged to "know before going." Gather information about weather forecasts, anticipated travel impacts, and current road conditions before going on the road. CDOT resources include:

CDOT’s Winter Wise event focuses on education, tools, and resources to help ensure the safety of drivers on Colorado’s winter roads. To learn more and view useful tips on winter driving, visit Winter.codot.gov. For specific information about I-70 and other highway driving conditions, motorists can call 511 or check COtrip.org. In addition, drivers can check the latest travel information on Twitter via @ColoradoDOT. For more detailed information on the towing and passenger car safety laws, snowplow laws, safety statistics and frequently asked questions, please visit Winter.codot.gov.