They may not be magical gnomes, but the work done by the Illinois Toll Highway Authority in preparation for the winter months remains unseen by many.

The salt and plow blades they stock up on during the summer months could make the difference between your car getting home safely or ending up in a snow bank.

“The first storms happen in December,” said Joelle McGinnis, press secretary for the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. Making sure trucks will have enough windshield washer fluid and gas, along with stocking up on salt, are some of the things on the authority’s agenda for the warmer months.

Last year’s winter was one of the coldest and most snow-ridden in history, and the troubles it caused on tollways, like I-88, was unprecedented.

McGinnis said between Nov. 13 and Feb. 27, there were 27 snowstorms, ten of which were in December, stretching over 19 of the month’s 31 days.

This year’s winter is shaping up to look similar, said NIU staff meteorologist Gilbert Sebenste. Cold air coming in from Canada could make this winter colder than last year, which was already one of the coldest on record. Snow levels also might be higher than normal, Sebenste added.

If Sebenste’s predictions are accurate, the Tollway Authority could be in some trouble.

The breakup of I-88 and a small section I-94 near Lake Forest last winter is something they’ve never had to deal with, McGinnis said.

Last year’s storms also used 20 percent more abrasives than normal, like salt and aggregate, which almost had the tollway authority looking into additional sources for salt.

Making salt and other road abrasive orders is something done early in the year, said Pat Klein, secretary for DeKalb’s operating divisions.

“We put in contracts way before we want to think about snow,” Klein said.

Extra blades for the plow trucks are also an important necessity, especially on roads like I-88 that are in bad condition, McGinnis said.

Plows blades regularly are replaced on trucks used on roads laced with potholes, McGinnis said, while blades used on smooth roads like I-355 can be used for a longer period of time.

With summer construction wrapping up, the most important thing for the tollway authority to do is make sure all their elements are in place for the winter, McGinnis said.