LAKE COUNTY — The flashing lights and blaring sirens of law enforcement and ambulances alike are almost as synonymous with the first snow of winter as the white stuff coming out of the sky.

“People seem to forget how to drive in it,” Lake County 911 Supervisor Anna Wright said.

The number of accidents related to the first snowfall of winter stayed about the same as last year, Wright said, but it still is always startling. Last Tuesday and Wednesday, changing temperatures and snow played a role in close to 15 reports of crashes, slide-ins or poor road conditions.

This year, with snowfall, rain and cold temperatures all mixed together over the course of three days, conditions were especially treacherous, Montana Highway Patrol Sgt. Randy Owens said.

Preparedness will be most important, as the National Weather Service has predicted a La Nina weather pattern this winter, meaning colder temperatures and more precipitation than average. Local residents should take note of the forecast as such a predication could mean a long, snowy winter.

One of the areas with the most consistently bad road conditions in the county is atop Jette Hill on Highway 93.

“It’s just always been a stormy area,” Owens said. “The local folks know where the bad spots are. Ever since I’ve been here for 30 years, it’s one of those spots that is the first one hit. It’s one of the first places the [Department of Transportation] heads when we start getting one of these storms.”

A particularly vicious two-vehicle accident there last Thursday evening, which highlighted the road’s dangerous state, sent all three occupants to the hospital and slowed north and southbound traffic around mile post 68.9.

“None of the injuries were life threatening, but obviously the vehicle was driving too fast for the road conditions,” MHP Trooper Jason Fetterhoff said. “Looking at the damage, everyone’s lucky to be walking away.”

Fetterhoff said the driver of the southbound minivan went out of control as he rounded a turn in the road and slid into the northbound lane, hitting a Trailblazer. The Trailblazer ended up on the east side of the road, near the woods, while the minivan spun 360 degrees, ending up facing north in the northbound lane. Fetterhoff said alcohol and driving too fast for road conditions played a role in the wreck. The 45-year-old driver of the minivan was cited for driving under the influence, he said.

The head-on collision served as a grim visualization for passersby of the need to be especially careful in snowy and icy conditions, most of all during early winter. Traffic at the accident scene was backed up for at least 45 minutes, Fetterhoff said, as only one lane was open and conditions remained treacherous, even at low speeds.

While last week was the first official snow, Mission Valley residents didn’t receive much of a reprieve as snow again hit Saturday and Sunday night into Monday and Tuesday. Saturday featured 15 reports to Lake County dispatch of crashes, slide-ins or poor roadway conditions as snow again hit, this time mostly in the lower half of the county.

The precipitation, coupled with frigid temperatures, created even more havoc on roads as driver’s hit the roadways at the beginning of the workweek.

Asst. Polson Police Chief John Stevens said a stop sign was a casualty of the snow, as a driver slid into the obstacle Monday morning, but otherwise, drivers in city limits were “doing very well.”

Lake County Undersheriff Jay Doyle said the reported crashes are nothing new, and that drivers should be prepared for the worst.

“Everybody has to get reacclimated to the slick roads,” he said. “Slow down, allow extra time to get somewhere, even if it’s the grocery store right down the road. People need to remember the roads are icy, just be prepared.”