ST. JOSEPH COUNTY — Higher salt prices and lots of early snow this season already have some local counties and cities talking about saving salt. The roads were slick after the few inches of snow that fell Monday. That left some people wondering what happened to the salt trucks.

Many municipalities are stretching what salt they have, and hoping it's enough to make it through the rest of what could turn out to be a very long, cold and snowy winter.

Mishawaka City Engineer Gary West says it's been at least 10 or 12 years since he remembers a winter that started this early, and stayed this consistent.

Snowfall totals are already a foot above average. Forecasters say it's only going to get worse.

"We've kind of gotten everybody used to driving on bare pavement, and it may have to change in the future," said West.

This year cities and counties are dealing with smaller budgets and higher salt prices. One reason — Hurricane Ike heavily damaged a Morton salt factory in the Bahamas.

Another reason — Supply and Demand.

"There's less supply because last year everybody used up all their reserves," said Berrien County Road Commissioner Brian Berndt. "And so this year everybody around here is competing for that salt."

In Berrien County, salt prices rose 14 percent from last year. In Mishawaka they're up 28 percent, and St. Joseph County (IN) is paying 188 percent more for road salt. For the most part, South Bend and St. Joseph County stocked up last spring, before prices jumped.

Many counties and cities say they shouldn't run out, if we have a normal winter.

Temperature is one of the toughest elements road crews battle. If they treat roads before they freeze, the salt will just be washed away. But if the air temperature drops below freezing, the roads can become a sheet of ice in a matter of minutes.

Mishawaka, South Bend and St. Joseph County spokesmen all told WSBT this year's smaller salt supply did not have any bearing on how much salt they used when roads turned treacherous Monday.

But in the future, it could.

"If prices continue to go up, there has to be a tipping point where we can't afford to pay," said Mishawaka City Engineer Gary West.

Some local counties are also facing major cutbacks in their road crews. Cass County laid off six road employees. As a result, the county only plows and salts its roads during the day.

St. Joseph County only bought enough salt to fill its barns, but County Commissioner Mark Dobson said when that runs out, road crews will resort to a brine and sand mixture they generally turn to every year anyway.