And, it presents the opportunity to add a few facts and figures to what is one of the most significant annual campaigns undertaken by the council across South Lanarkshire.

Did you know:

• Last year we used 18,870 tonnes of road salt.
• This year we expect our salt supplies to be around 31,400 tonnes as we enter the main winter period. National salt shortages of the relatively recent past have shown that all councils must be well-prepared.
• Approximately 150 winter road workers supply a 24/7 service using a fleet of 29 gritters, 12 footway tractors, and four loaders to salt roads, clear snow, and keep roads and footways as safe as possible within available resources.
• Forty-nine percent of the total road network will be gritted when snow or ice is forecast – including all A-class roads and important access roads (e.g. hospitals, fire stations, and isolated communities).
• Typically, councils grit 45% of their networks, which puts us above the average.
• You can follow our gritters in real time on our website

You can also watch a short animation that summarises these points.

Throughout the winter we will keep residents informed in several ways. This includes our Roads in Winter pages which detail our winter maintenance plan as well as list the main gritting routes and grit bin locations

Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @SLCRoads and @SouthLanCouncil for 24-hour weather forecasts and information on when the gritters are in action.