Each winter, UDOT spokesmen said, the department spends $17 million to $20 million clearing state roads. The money, among other things, goes to replace an average of 1,500 snowplow blades each year and pays for an average of 221,000 tons of salt used to de-ice roads. UDOT also buys new snowplows each year to replace old, degraded machines.

"Salt is the enemy," said Steve McCarthy, UDOT equipment operations manager. "It will corrode and rot out the machines."

On a recent afternoon, UDOT crews were working to replace metal panels on the sides of a snowplow that had rotted with rust. Nearby, the plow's blade was resting on a table. It had been bent, and workers were straightening it.

For its part, UDOT believes it does an "A" job of clearing the state's highways. Agency workers said complaints about uncleared roads usually come during heavy snowstorms when crews are still working. In addition, UDOT prioritizes which roads it cleans first, so in a heavy storm, a local road may not be cleared until the interstate is in the best shape possible.

Residents interested in road conditions this winter can log on to: commuterlink.utah.gov. The Web site provides a statewide look at accidents and weather conditions on state roads.

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E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com