CAPITAL REGION — Highway officials for cities, towns and counties in the area say they’re confident in their ability to keep roads clear of snow this winter, even with a national shortage of plow drivers and a backlog on vehicle repair parts.The official start of winter is Dec. 21, and so far the region has experienced a handful of “nuisance” storms of just an inch or two.On a yearly basis, the Albany area averages just shy of 60 inches of snow a year from October to April, including 13.3 inches in December, 15.6 inches in January, 13.7 inches in February and 12 inches in…