Video: Day in the life of an Ann Arbor snowplow driver

The majority of his work is accomplished while most residents are sound asleep. I had the opportunity to join Grau on his 45-mile route to document the efforts and logistics it takes to plow the streets.

With a sack lunch and Diet Coke in hand, Grau starts his day around 3 a.m. Depending on the conditions, he aims to complete his route before the morning rush hour. Once a layer of salt has been dumped on the roads, he gets back behind the wheel to remove more snow. After eight winters of driving, he's able to tell you the width of a shoulder, he can spot potholes under a thick layer of snow and knows appropriate driving speeds in certain tricky areas.