Operations Update
Precipitation continued overnight in the form of light snow and sleet. Crews took action by spreading the salt-sand mix over the emergency routes. Plows are presently raised on the trucks to facilitate quick treatment of the roadways. With the plows raised, it takes crews eight hours to make a pass through all 1,500 lane miles of the primary routes.
Plow operators are continuing those road treatments and will adjust to any changes to weather patterns later today. Snow accumulation has been too thin to plow overnight, but that is expected to change later this morning. Plows will be lowered to push snow off the roadways, once the heavier snow begins to fall. City crews are operating at full capacity, with 50 trucks deployed around the clock to treat the roads.
The weather forecast calls for more precipitation later today, with precipitation ending this evening. The City will monitor the forecast and changing conditions and will provide an update at noon today.
Road Conditions Forecast
As expected, road conditions worsened overnight. The single-digit low temperatures overnight, coupled with the precipitation, have made roadways slick. Traveling will remain hazardous through the end of the storm. Road conditions are expected to improve early next week with sunnier weather and precipitation ending.
An update on road conditions and the City’s storm response will be provided on Sunday at noon. Public Works & Utilities officials will answer questions at the media briefing at noon at the Patrol North facility. Media are encouraged to attend.
Maps of the snow routes can be found on the City’s website, under the Public Works & Utilities page. The maps are accessible directly at the following link.
http://wichita.gov/Departments/PWU/Streets Documents/Snow and Ice Routes.pdf
