BILLINGS — As snow falls all across Montana, drivers are bracing their vehicles for the inevitable hazardous roads that typically accompany the winter weather.
It's been a rather mellow winter thus far in terms of snowfall, but Monday's storm brought business to the doorstep for J&M Tire co-owner Mark Ruff.
"A lot of people were proactive and had their winter tires put on about a month ago," Ruff said. "But we still had a few coming in today. I think the storm was kind of a reminder of what is expected to come."
The roads in Billings remained rather dry on Monday, but Ruff knows that between this current storm and the cold forecast for the rest of the week, things could change quickly.
"Now it's time for the slipping and sliding," Ruff said. "Especially if this comes down like it is, it's going to be icy underneath. It's going to be hard to go and it's going to be hard to stop."
Many drivers, like Billings resident Dave Voth, were prepping their vehicles on Monday for what's to come.
"I mean, obviously, today it's snowing but it's just wet," Voth said. "But if it keeps up, I'm sure there will be (icy roads) in the next 24 hours."
Voth took his truck into J&M Tire on Monday to replace one of his tires in an effort to stay safe.
"I had to have a tire replaced," Voth said. "It's good to have good tires and good traction when it's snowing."
While there were drivers like Voth getting ready for more snow, Ruff said the focus was less about changing to winter tires and instead opting for all-season ones.
"They make the all-season stuff so much better now, you know, that it runs in the wintertime as well," Ruff said. "I've had a couple of winter tire sets today, but the rest are all-season tires."
It's a bit of a change compared to years past, though Ruff knows that what's most important is that customers like Voth are paying close attention.
"Just make sure you've got good tires on your truck or car," Voth said. "If you don't know what you're doing, come in and see Mark and he'll help you find what's necessary."
