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They get up in the middle of the night to make our roads safe. How great is that?

It's snowplow driver appreciation day in Wisconsin, so if you see a snowplow heading on down the highway, give a wave and a smile.

The day was declared by Gov. Scott Walker, and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation is recognizing county highway department drivers for their work.

The state itself owns no snowplows, but pays counties to clear state and federal highways (US and Interstate System).

Northeast Wisconsin DOT Director Will Dorsey said in a news release the county crews do a great job maintaining the roads in winter.

"We want to salute all snowplow drivers for their expertise and hard work over long hours, during what are typically some very challenging conditions, keeping traffic moving safely on our roads," Dorsey said.

The DOT says we can help out snowplow drivers when they are working, by staying at least 200 feet behind a working snowplow, and by being careful when passing since the plow kicks up a lot of snow.

For current road conditions throughout Wisconsin, call 511 or go online.

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