With the snow showers that arrived just in time for the morning rush hour on Monday, commuters found themselves dealing with very slick roads with little to no warning.

Sergeant Sean Finley with the Montana Highway Patrol said there were five reported accidents in western Montana.

“We fared pretty well this morning,” said Sgt. Finley. “We had five reported crashes and one involved a rollover on a secondary road. This caught everyone by surprise. I drove down south (toward the Bitterroot) this morning and the roads were dry, then they weren’t and then they were dry again. It is a different time of year when you don’t know what the conditions are going to be from minute to minute.”

Finley said this is a good time to review safe driving procedures during the winter weather.

“First, buckle up for sure,” he said. “Then, make sure you have tires that are worthy of being driven in the snow because bald tires don’t help anybody. In addition, four-wheel drive will help you going uphill, but not so much when you’re headed down hill. One more thing, following too close is dangerous. Make sure you have enough space between you and the vehicle in front of you, and also if you’re traveling somewhere, make sure you allow enough time to get from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’.

Finley also said to put 5-1-1 in your phone to access statewide road conditions for the winter.

There was no information about injuries from the morning’s accidents.

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