Snow my goodness!

Well, that felt excessive.

Perhaps I’m in the minority here, but when this kind of snow flies all at once I don’t love it.

Keep it high in the mountains where our ski hills can continue to draw gobs of people from across the region, but my yard, my driveway, the streets through my community… no thanks.

As Mother Nature pummeled the region over the past week, some of the communities in the Silver Valley saw upward of 10 inches of snowfall, first the exceptionally fluffy fun snow that can be dusted off cars and sidewalks using nothing more than a broom, then it warmed up (if we’re calling going from 28 degrees to 35 degrees warming up). Suddenly, the snow turned into the heavy, wet snow that pushes plows to their limits and tests the structural stability of rooftops.

As plow crews worked diligently to clear roads, sidewalks and parking lots, law enforcement got to deal with those who found themselves on the unlucky side of winter driving.

According to Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office Captain Jeff Lee, in the past 48 hours, the SCSO has responded to 16 crashes, nine slide-offs, three crashes involving properties and two hit-and-runs.

Obviously, the common denominator in all of these incidents has been the weather, but each has their own little nuance that makes them different.

“A mix of driving too fast for conditions and possibilities of distracted drivers,” Lee said. “There has been only a couple of intoxicated drivers, only two of them I believe. This happens every year for us and we just handle everything as quickly and as safely as we can.”

Traversing the 34-mile stretch of freeway through Shoshone County might truly be the easiest part of driving currently, especially when you take into account the countless miles of roads that run through the multiple communities of the Silver Valley.

But for those attempting to make their way around during times of inclement weather, they need to remember a few things.

“Drivers need to remember that speed limit signs mean you can't go above that speed, but if roadways are unsafe, they are still required to drive according to conditions,” Lee said. “This means that sometimes, they must drive under the speed limit — or if they crash, they could still be cited.”

So remember, if you get out there on the road, leave early, be patient, be safe and thank a plow truck driver.

Road conditions are available for Interstate 90 by visiting 511.idaho.gov.