Winter might seem like a long way off, but it is November, and a visit from Old Man Winter shouldn’t come as a total surprise. The State Transportation Department is ready for whatever winter has to send our way. MoDOT’s Eric Schroeter says about 1,800 vehicles are ready to improve driving conditions, with about 300,000 tons of salt on hand to help melt the ice and snow. Roads with the highest traffic volumes are cleared first. They include Interstates and other major highways.