EDITORIAL

It’s not nice second-guessing Mother Nature.

   It’s not even winter yet and already the air is full of winter-season gripes, focused on the slow response by road crews to last week’s snowfall.
   Residents have come to expect clean, dry roads for their morning commutes — a testament to the excellent job done by township and county roads crews — in all but the most extreme cases.
   But Friday’s snowfall remained on many county roads until mid-morning, and most township streets saw but a quick drive-by plowing.
   The problem lies in budgeting — and Mother Nature.
   Given the forecast for a snowier and colder winter than usual, we may see a few more snow-covered roads before the end of the year, but we suspect once a new budget year starts in January, road crews will be again be warming up the motors on snowplows at the first mention of snow on the Weather Channel.
   We have to remember the late winter snows we had in the spring, which depleted the funds for early snow clearing. Now, with limited money left, overtime is being avoided, keeping the crews corralled until regular working hours.
   None of this is comforting to those who hit the roads early to get work, but when it comes planning for the weather, some leeway must be given.
   The weather has away of tricking us all.