The Iowa DOT says 15 snowplows were hit while working during the snowstorm Wednesday. The DOT says that is a one-day record for equipment strikes during a winter season.
The previous single-day record of snowplow hits was nine in 2024. DOT Winter Operations Administrator Craig Bargfrede says drivers get distracted and run into plows that are going slower to get their work done. Working plows travel ten to 35 miles an hour and create a cloud of snow that impacts visibility for drivers.
A total of 25 snowplows have been hit by vehicles so far this winter. The average snowplow hits from 2015 to 2024 was 32, with a record high year in 2019 that ended with 47 motorists running into snowplows.