INDIANA — Preparations are now underway for winter weather expected to hit Indiana late tonight and Monday. The Indiana Department of Transportation reminds motorists to be cautious if traveling in what could be hazardous conditions.

INDOT is monitoring several weather forecasts, and the latest information from the National Weather Service predicts snow over the next 72 hours ranging between wintry mix in southern Indiana and up to 8 inches in northwest Indiana. About half of Indiana’s 92 counties are under a Winter Weather Advisory, mainly in northern and central Indiana.

Since late last week, INDOT yellow trucks have been pretreating interstates and state highways with a salt-water solution. Once the snow and ice begin falling, crews will switch from spraying salt brine to plowing and salting.

With this being such a mild winter, INDOT urges motorists to get back into winter driving habits. It’s been several weeks since roads have been covered with snow. Drive snow smart, give yourself extra time and limit non-essential travel during the heaviest snow.

INDOT has the following resources to respond to this late winter weather event:

• 1,092 Snow plows
• 200,000 tons of salt
• 100,000 gallons of brine
• 1,843 employees on call covering 28,000 lane miles
• All regional districts have around the clock crews working 12-hour shifts to battle the snow

Motorists are urged to:

• Slow down and stay behind the snowplows. The road behind the plow will be the safest place to drive. Allow at least ten car lengths between your vehicle and snowplows or hopper spreaders.
• Do not pass. The plows are wide, and sometimes a group of trucks will work in tandem to clear snow quickly, especially on major highways.
• Be particularly aware of black ice conditions on surfaces such as bridge decks and entrance and exit ramps late tonight and the early hours of tomorrow morning.
• Remember that technology helps, but only to a point. Four-wheel drive, anti-lock brakes and traction control are beneficial advancements in today’s cars, trucks and SUVs, but they cannot take the place of good driving habits and the need to reduce speed on snowy or icy roads.