COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- A blast of winter made for a messy morning commute on Tuesday, despite the city of Colorado Springs' attempt to keep the roads clear.
City officials said crews began plowing during rush hour Monday evening and worked throughout the night.
Tuesday morning the city said they had around 45 trucks out on the streets but added there is only so much they can do.
"This is the end of December, and you live in Colorado, it's winter," Allen Peterson, Acting Street Division Manager, said.
Peterson said they were prepared for Tuesday's storm and were monitoring it.
"We saw it coming and was able to be proactive and had trucks out there as the storm hit," Peterson said.
Plows spread deicers and anti-skid materials, but the stubborn snow wasn't gone by Tuesday's morning commute.
"They were pretty slick," said one driver.
Another agreed.
"Pretty bad," he said.
Dozens of crashes were reported around the city.
"I seen some come close, people spinning out and turning around. I dodged them," another driver said.
Some drivers have high expectations when it comes to city streets, but city officials said there is only so much they can do.
"You can only put so much deicer on top of the ice, and at some point it's not efficient and cost-effective," Peterson said.
Peterson said they rely on mother nature and city drivers to give them a helping hand.
"They need to shift into winter driving mode, and they need to slow down and leave extra distance between themselves and the car in front of them, and just be cautious," Peterson said.
Peterson said his crews are already monitoring the next storm system moving in, which is expected to arrive Wednesday night.
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