It may only be mid-October but Dorset Highways is already preparing to keep the roads clear this winter.

This Friday, the council will be carrying out a 'dry run', giving the drivers a chance to familiarise themselves with the vehicles and the gritting routes in daylight.

Here are nine things you may not know about gritting season. 

1. Dorset Highways have 26 gritters (22 operational and four spare) at the ready. 

2. The gritters will cover the 650 mile gritting network with more than 10,000 tones of salt in stock. 

3. Twelve 'Icelert' weather stations will give accurate weather conditions across the area. The Icelert stations measure road and air temperature, wind speed and direction, rainfall and detect ice. These will ensure gritters are sent out at the right time - and even spread the right amount of salt onto the road.

4. The winter weather service runs from October to the end of March to deal with wintry conditions – with 25 per cent of the county council roads covered by the 22 main gritting routes. These include primary A and B roads, links to hospitals and larger communities, roads to larger schools and key bus routes.

5. The gritters work out of six depots – Bridport, Charminster, Blandford, Gibbs Marsh, Wareham and Ferndown – and are sent out when the road surface temperature is forecast to drop to zero degrees Celsius and ice or frost is forecast.

6. There are 22 drivers on call 24/7 for winter weather duties and six highways staff on call for other non-gritting related emergencies. Over 80 farmers and other specialist contractors are also on standby to help their communities with snow ploughing.

7. Over 800 salt bins have been filled for local, lightly used roads and pavements, and parish and town council ‘community’ bins have also been topped up ready for use.

8. Dorset Highways has a ‘dry run’ at the start of each winter season. During a ‘dry run’ no salt is spread but residents will see gritters out and about on the designated gritting network.

9. The most number of gritters sent out was in 2012/13 when there were 120 call outs. The lowest was during the winter of 2013/14 when this was just 40. Last year, gritters helped keep the roads clear 57 times.