Whatcom County Public Works has announced that it’s short of snow plow drivers this winter and now the Washington State Department of Transportation says they are too.
WSDOT says they usually have 1500 workers in jobs mostly tied to winter, but this year they’re down to 1200.
The department attributes the shortage to a variety of reasons including pandemic-related hiring freezes, outside demand for its workers and the vaccine mandate under which it lost 5.9% of its workforce.
The worker shortage means some routes won’t be plowed as quickly or as frequently and some will stay closed longer.
The department recommends all drivers have their vehicles well prepared for winter driving.