DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — As the state prepares for the winter storm, drivers will notice something different this time around. ODOT says the sleeting rain all morning has prevented them from spraying salt on the roads and plow trucks are being placed on standby.

“There’s nothing we can do to prevent that,” says ODOT Press Secretary Matt Bruning. “We can’t pre-treat the roadways or get ahead of the storm because this is coming in as rain and will wash the pre-treatment right off.”

According to ODOT, Most Miami Valley roadways missed being pre-treated due to the constant rainfall all morning. Bruning says the constant rain plus a rapid decline in temperature late Thursday night will create a nightmare before Christmas.

“When this cold front moves through, temperatures will take a dramatic dive so we’re going to rapidly see temperatures drop,” said Bruning. “Everything that is wet will flash freeze.”

However, it’s never too late to prepare. ODOT encourages drivers to plan their normal commute times to double or even triple in time. Snow plows will be ready on standby but there’s not much they can do if mother nature decides Winter Storm Elliot is here to stay.

“Even if the snow stops early morning, mid-morning on Friday, conditions will still be very treacherous all day and even Saturday as we get those gusty winds continuing,” said Bruning.

To help you plan ahead, ODOT says they have over 1,000 live traffic cameras available at all times to see road conditions in real-time. For that link, click here.