Posted on Monday 17th November 2025
Staffordshire’s gritting crews rolled out for the very first time this season, as temperatures plummeted across the county.
The county council’s fleet of 37 gritters were in action across the county early Monday morning (17 November), as road surface temperatures fell below freezing.
Also in action will be the county’s hill contractors, who go out across the higher grounds in the Staffordshire Moorlands.
The roll out comes after crews had a heavy weekend dealing with the after-effects of Storm Claudia, which brought high winds, rain and disruption across the county.
Armed more than 20,000 tonnes of salt stockpiled, highways crews are equipped to battle any adverse weather conditions coming Staffordshire’s way.
Temperatures and road conditions across the network are monitored from weather stations across the county, and a team of winter decision makers make the call on whether to roll out the gritters.
On routine winter days and nights gritting crews will be focusing on the major routes and extending to the wider network in prolonged ice and snow conditions.
Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Support Member for Highways North said:
“Our crews monitor the weather on a daily basis, and were ready to roll as soon as temperatures dropped. After driving their routes and putting gritters through their paces, crews were well-prepared to cover their routes for the first time this season.
“This has come hot on the heels of Storm Claudia, where our crews did an excellent job in difficult circumstances clearing the roads of fallen trees and debris, and dealing with flooding.
“Rolling our gritting fleet out now gives crews the perfect practice for when the really bad weather hits. And, when it does, crews will be pulling out all the stops to treat our primary and secondary routes across the network. With temperatures set to remain low over the next few days, our crews will continue to monitor the weather and roll out when needed.
“Regardless of whether a road has been gritted, in icy and snowy conditions motorists need to slow down, take extra care and allow more time for their journeys.”
More information on gritting can be found here.