Beware of falling snow, blowing winds and “hog snot.”

All motorists were encouraged to use caution and to reduce speed when operating motor vehicles on Cayuga County highways Thursday.

“Today it stinks,” said James F. Smith, highway superintendent for the town of Sennett. “It's real slippery even after you go through with the plow and salt.”

“Hog snot” is what he called the consistency of the road after the salt was spread. “It pulls the cars sideways,” he said. After the most recent plowing, his crew held up on the salt.

“It's better to drive on snow than hog snot. The roads hold up better,” he said. “People have just got to slow up.”

Late Thursday afternoon, a travel advisory was issued for the county. All roads were open but snow covered, with light winds and minor snow blowing.

All village, town, county, and state highway departments worked to clear all roads. There are about 560 miles of county roads, with towns plowing approximately 300 miles.

Snow fell at about an inch per hour but wound down later in the day, so that local totals ranged between four and seven inches, according to the National Weather Service. Freezing drizzle with a low of 25 degrees and winds from 6 to 11 mph still made driving treacherous.

Smith noted that workers coming and going from Welch Allyn go just as fast in the winter as they do in the summer.

On Thursday, he tallied four cars in ditches, on Center Street, on Franklin Street Road, on County Line Road, and on Depot Road.

Smith said his equipment is current, with a brand new International sanding truck with wings arriving next Monday or Tuesday. Besides two big sanders, the department has a small Ford F250 with a patrol wing and plow, and Smith drives a pickup to do smaller plowing.

He sets his alarm for 2:50 a.m. and calls his crew. Area schools in Skaneateles, Weedsport, Auburn, and Jordan-Elbridge call him for a report on road conditions before they decide to close.

Whether or not schools close depends on the amount of snow falling and visibility, he said.

He said his plows don't go more than 20 miles per hour, so even if it's windy, they can perform.

He mentioned a Sennett town councilor who questioned some of the funding for the snow removal.

“I just threw him in the cab with me and took him out on the road,” Smith said. “I never heard him complain again.”

Smith has worked for the Sennett highway department for 30 years and has been superintendent since 1995.

George Wethey, Cayuga County highway superintendent, said $2 million had been appropriated in 2007 for snow removal, $1 million going to the towns in the county for the county roads that they plow and $1 million for the county snow removal done by county workers.

The Legislature is expected to approve snow removal funding amounting to about three percent more in its 2008 budget on Dec. 18, according to Wethey.

In November and December of 2006, with much less snow, he said the county spent little compared to what appears to be needed this year.

“We try to go back and take an average,” he said in formulating a budget for next year. “If the snow continues, there is a fund from which money is transferred.”

As for fueling the vehicles, Wethey said diesel fuel is already a problem that required a couple of internal transfers.

“This is our third major snowfall,” he said, citing rising fuel costs built into next year's budget.

In the meantime, Wethey's crews are continuing to get out at 3 or 4 a.m. to deal with the steady snowfall and coming in by 9:30 or 10 p.m.

Looking ahead to a weekend forecast of more snow, he said, “I hope it's all hype, but we'll deal with it if it isn't.”

Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at kathleen.barran @lee.net or 253-5311, ext 238