City, county and state road crews prepared as much as possible Friday for today’s anticipated 5 to 7 inches of snow in Columbus.
But a larger concern among many emergency responders is how Bartholomew County motorists will handle the first significant winter storm of the season.
The winter storm warning that is expected to remain in effect until 7 a.m. Sunday means significant amounts of snow, sleet and ice could make travel hazardous, according to the National Weather Service.
Total accumulations of 5 to 7 inches of snow, as well as a light glaze of ice, are possible from this morning through tonight.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
The weather service also warns there could be areas with higher amounts of snow, as well as the potential for lower visibility during heavy snow bands.
In preparation, city, county and state road crews have been putting down brine on secondary streets and roads since Wednesday.
However, crews usually wait until just before the snow arrives to put down brine on thoroughfares and main streets, so the mixture is fresher and more effective on heavily-traveled streets, Columbus’ director of public works Bryan Burton said.
Indiana Department of Transportation snow plow drivers are concerned that rain might fall ahead of the snow, and wash off much of the pre-treatments, said INDOT spokesman Harry Maginity.
Those treatments not only help keep the blacktop from icing up, but also provide a barrier between the wintry precipitation and the asphalt.
“It’s not quite like Teflon, but it’s the same idea,” Maginity said.
While tentative plans have been made, all road crews will have to play out today’s winter storm developments by ear, Bartholomew County Highway engineer Danny Hollander said.
With temperatures rising into the mid 30s Friday, pavements could be warm enough to prevent the snow from sticking for several hours this morning, Hollander predicted.
Unless the pavement gets slicker than expected overnight, the county crews planned to start deploying 15 dump trucks and three pickups trucks — all with attached plows — at about 6 a.m. this morning, Hollander said.
“But if necessary, we’ll send the crews out earlier,” Hollander said.
In Columbus, motorists can expect to see up to a dozen snow and ice removal vehicles at any given time, Burton said. However, as many as 20 trucks could eventually be called out if heavy snow arrives, he said.
Burton reminds motorists that even if the snow falls for 12 hours, road crews will keep working twice that amount of time to clear the streets.
In the city, the trickiest part of today’s winter storm will be the lengthy period of time it might last, Burton said. There is a concern that if crews allow themselves to become physically exhausted from excessively long shifts, they become a potential safety liability, he said.
“We may not be getting to some of the streets until Sunday, because we’ll be plowing the main roads the majority of the time (today),” Burton said.
Forecasters said the anticipated snow is expected to be wet and heavy. While that’s not good news for homeowners shoveling their sidewalks, Hollander said it does mean there shouldn’t be much drifting of snow.
Unlike the city employees, county road crews don’t work shifts, Hollander said. Instead, 15 different districts have been established for snow removal that contain both primary and secondary roads, he said.
“But we’re not going to make our crews work 24 hours straight,” said Hollander, who said the county is expected to send 15 dump trucks and three pickups trucks to clear the rural pavement.
At the state level, a full call out of crew members was issued by the Indiana Department of Transportation for 10 p.m. Friday. Like the city and county, INDOT officials were anticipating light snow at first, followed by heavier snow today, Maginity said.
With each driver putting in a 12-hour shift, INDOT will have 29 snow and ice removal trucks operating in the Columbus area until the winter storm is over, Maginity said.
Although city, county and state road crews have different methods, their administrators are issuing the same advice to all motorists:
Stay home unless you absolutely have to get out.
Slow down and give yourself plenty of extra time to reach your destination.
Drive defensively with the realization that some drivers are either inpatient or rusty in their winter driving skills.
In addition, the INDOT spokesman reminded motorists to keep a safe distance from all the snow-clearing vehicles.
“Don’t crowd the plow,” Maginity added. “If granular salt from one of the trucks is hitting your windshield, you are too close.”
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”EBL update” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
As of Friday afternoon, Elementary Basketball League officials were still planning to hold championship basketball games and "Cheer Day" activities at Columbus East High School today.
But in case a decision is made to postpone the grade school competitions due to weather, a message will be posted to the EBL website by 6:30 a.m., organizer Dennis Pierce said.
The website is: bcsc.k12.in.us/ebl.
If weather conditions worsen throughout the morning and Cheer Day needs to be postponed, that message will be posted and announced by 10 a.m., Pierce said.
If either is postponed, the event will be held at North High School on Saturday, Jan. 19.
[sc:pullout-text-end][sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Driving tips” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department offers the following tips to motorists who are driving in the county’s first snowstorm of the year:
- Reduce speed. Many crashes occur simply due to driving too fast for weather conditions. There is no designated "safe" speed so drivers must exercise caution based on conditions. The safe speed may be well below the posted maximum speed limit.
- Conditions may deteriorate rapidly and may change due to traffic patterns, available sunlight or snow treatment on pavement, or other factors. Don’t be lulled into thinking that easy driving in one location means the same everywhere. The same road may suddenly become hazardous a short distance away.
- Leave extra room between vehicles. This is true both while traveling and while stopped at lights or signs. Normal following distances should be increased to 8-10 seconds minimum.
- Accelerate and brake slowly. Sudden moves create problems on snow and ice.
- Keep all windows clear of debris. Don’t start driving until all windows are clear of ice, snow, and frost.
- Minimize distractions. Even more than on nice days, keep eyes on the road and attention on driving. Put away phones and other distractions.
- Use your lights even during daylight hours. This is not so much for you to see but to assist others with seeing you. Make sure to clear lights of snow and ice.
- Keep vehicles maintained. Check tire pressure, fill washer fluid, replace windshield wipers, keep gas tank at least half full and have general maintenance performed.
- Have an emergency kit in each vehicle. Suggested items include a blanket or extra clothes, flashlight, water, snacks, and a fully charged cell phone.
[sc:pullout-text-end][sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Updated closings and delays” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
The Republic will list closings and delays on its website, therepublic.com, throughout the weekend.
[sc:pullout-text-end]
