David Maxwell traded in his regular car for one of these bad boys, though on this day he didn't have to drop the plow.
"On days like this we're just spreading salt so it's not bad at all," said Maxwell. "Today I'll be driving a one ton truck and spreading salt."
By mid-day 16 of Lee's Summit's 28 plows drove around salting area streets and highways to prevent snow from sticking to the ground or worse turning to ice.
GALLERY: See Kansas City's first snow in pics
"It's a good public service," he said. "There are a lot of people who appreciate what we do and they tell us that and it just makes everybody feel good."
While Wednesday was pretty easy out there, Lee's Summit said heavy snowfall can be a real headache not just for their department but for all drivers. For example, it takes Lee's Summit public works 32 hours to get rid of just six inches of snow.
"Our biggest challenge is going to be the forecast -- are we going to get snow or we not going to get snow," said Shawn Graff, the assistant director of operations for Lee's Summit.
While drivers are on the roads, Graff's team back at headquarters monitors the weather and keeps track of all the trucks.
"It shows where our trucks are located and it shows how fast they're going, if they have their spreaders on, how much salt they're putting down, if the plow is up or down," he said. "We use this so we have an idea of where everyone is at but also if we have an emergency. For example, if the fire department or police department needs someone with heavy snowfall we can refer to that very quickly and find out what the closest truck is to that location."
Which is why this winter, the public works asks for your patience.
Want to see which roads in Lee's Summit have been cleared? The city has a map that'll keep you in the know before, during and after a snow storm. Click here to access the page.
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Terra Hall can be reached at terra.hall@kshb.com.
