With the first snow of the season poised to fall in the Pittsburgh area, road crews from Allegheny County say they're ready for the arrival of winter-like weather.

Rain showers are expected to turn to snow overnight from Sunday into Monday morning and could make for a messy morning commute.

"The Allegheny County Department of Public Works is fully prepared to handle whatever the weather throws at us over the next few days," said Allegheny County Department of Public Works Director Stephen Shanley.

Shanley said that when the snow begins to fall, Allegheny County will deploy 17 salt trucks with plows installed on them.

"We will be continually monitoring this storm and will deploy more trucks, as needed, depending on the snowfall rate and pavement temperatures," Shanley said. "Drivers will continue on their routes until the snow stops falling and all county-maintained roads are clear."

Drivers are encouraged to be extra cautious ahead of the first snowfall of the season and to be particularly careful on bridges and ramps, which can often freeze before other areas.

"If there is snow on our roadways, we recommend drivers slow down and provide extra space between their vehicle and the one in front of them," Shanley said.

You can find out who is responsible for clearing snow or ice from your road in Allegheny County through an online tool.

Staying safe while road crews work during winter weather events

As we make this turn in the weather and driving conditions, road crews are working to keep everyone safe and can use the public's help to get the job done safely. 

No one likes to be slowed down when you're trying to get to work, school, or an appointment -- but the drop in temperatures brings an unavoidable slowdown.

Salt and plow trucks trying to keep roadways clear are by nature big and slower than many people would like to be going. 

 "Keep your distance," said PennDOT District 11 Assistant Executive of Maintenance Lori Musto. "Let's give our folks some time to work. They're big trucks. They're heavy trucks. They don't stop on a dime and they just need some room to work, so we ask everybody stay back about six car lengths."

Musto said that following a salt truck too closely can lead to the flying salt taking out a window or chipping a vehicle's paint.

"A lot of people get in a rush and they want to pass them, but once again, that's where we see a lot of people spin out when they try to pass the salt truck," Musto said.

Musto said that PennDOT's snow routes take approximately two hours to run.

"If we do get hit with a quick hitter that dumps a lot of material, the roads will become snow covered and it will just take us some time to get around to getting them cleared," Musto said.

Even if the Pittsburgh area doesn't get hit with snow bursts, Musto said that fallen leaves with dropping temperatures can freeze and create extremely slick driving conditions.