When the skies showed signs of snowflakes last week, shoppers streamed into stores to snag some milk and bread. Later, our thoughts turned to whether school would be canceled.

In the midst of our other weather-related concerns, it’s important that we also think about the many Department of Transportation employees who spent long hours clearing roads. In a story published Sunday, reporter Mark Wineka wrote that DOT had 24 trucks on the road in Rowan County, along with six contract trucks and nine contract motor graders.

That massive presence ensured that major roads were relatively clear for motorists brave enough to venture into the winter wilderness.

Piled up as high as 7 inches in some places, fluffy snow froze overnight, which made driving even more dangerous than it might have been otherwise. With limited resources, DOT couldn’t reach all side roads, most of which were coated with a sheet of ice and snow. Throughout the weekend and into Monday, however, main roads seemed to be clear of ice patches.

To be clear, it’s best to avoid driving when winter weather strikes. Without the hard work of DOT employees, however, most roads would be impassable.