Grant County Public Works employees were busy Tuesday preparing roads as a winter weather advisory was in effect for much of the Columbia Basin until about noon today.

Snow in the Ephrata, Othello, Quincy and Moses Lake areas was expected to begin late last night and continue into the morning, according to the National Weather Service.

Roads are expected to be slippery for the morning commute.

Sam Castro, director of Grant County Public Works, said preparation for the snow was pretty normal compared to other weather this season.

“We’re not receiving any notifications from the National Weather Service that we should consider prepping for a major event,” Castro said. “There’s parts of our county that are projected to have anywhere from one to four inches of snow. For us, it’s pretty routine.”

County workers did some testing in the Dodson Road area to see how effective their preventative methods were. Castro said they planned to spread about 200 pounds of salt mix per lane per mile before the snow arrived.

Dodson Road is a critical route for many, connecting the north and south parts of the county. Castro said in emergencies, law enforcement and paramedics may need to use the road. It is up to county public works crews to ensure the roads are maintained safely.

“Public safety is something we take very seriously,” Castro said.

Pre-treatment work on the roads was done until about 5 p.m. yesterday. Crews were to come back in at 4 or 5 a.m. today, ready to be fully deployed.

“The good thing about this is this afternoon the vehicles are being equipped with sand (and) salt mix; they’re getting their fuel topped off and having all their tests to get ready for the event,” Castro said Tuesday. “I feel very confident the county will deploy resources and do the very best we can.”

Castro said drivers should still be cautious. The salt mix on the road doesn’t mean someone in a large pickup can go 60 mph in icy conditions.

Since taking the job, Castro said, the number one cause of accidents on roads has been drivers going too fast.

“Yes, we’re having a storm, so be wise, be safe and slow down,” Castro said.

Castro is in his first winter with Grant County Public Works after taking the position last summer. He is currently working on an update of the “snow policy” and hopes the new policy will improve efficiency in use of resources and communication with the public.