Tracy Ballard shows us life as a snowplow operator in Lexington

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — With the heavy weather that’s been hitting Lexington it can be hard for folks working out in the snow.

ABC 36 reporter Jane Davenport went on a snow plow ride to show what it looks like for a snowplow operator out in the harsh weather.

This (see video above) is what Tracy Ballard’s life has looked like the past couple of days as winter weather continues making roads slick with ice and snow.

As we joined her on one of her routes with the city of Lexington, she told us about her job as a snowplow driver.

“We put the salt down which is like a liquid and then we salt the hills and bridges…”

After she is done salting priority areas, like main roads, hills and bridges, she heads over to the streets less traveled.

The first step is to salt the road, and then go back over it with a snow plow.

She says that since the sun is up, this makes the process a lot easier.

But of course, the job comes with its difficulties. As you can hear in the video above, it’s pretty loud in the truck and Tracy said it takes a lot of mental effort to do her job.

What do you want people, who don’t drive snow plows, who are just regular people on the road, what do you want them to know?

“That we are trying to help you get where you’re going safely, so just be patient,” Tracy said.

She says her favorite part of the job though is keeping people safe, people always have places to be and she feels proud to be a part of helping them get to their destination safely.

So if you ever see a snowplow on the road this winter…it might be Tracy — working to keep everything clear.