Chicago suburbs prepare plows, salt for major winter storm
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (CBS) -- A major winter storm is set to hit the Chicago area on Friday, and some suburban communities are expecting up to 10 inches of snow.
One of those suburban communities is Schaumburg, where the engineering and public works department had 5,000 tons of salt at the ready Thursday afternoon.
The department has been preparing all year for the anticipated snowfall that will begin Friday morning, all year. Every October, the department makes sure everything is ready for the season.
The entire year is spent getting the Schaumburg village salt dome filled with the 5,500 tons of salt - along with the 65,000 gallons of chemicals that are used to keep the roads safe.
Twenty-one plow trucks will be on the roads plowing and salting.
"The chemicals directly apply to the salt, prior to going on the roadway. That helps it get into the solution quicker - and then it also allows us to melt snow and ice at lower temperatures," said Justin Briski, division supervisor for snow and ice operations for the Village of Schaumburg.
Snow accumulations in Schaumburg are expected to be high – at least on some surfaces.
"So we're anticipating approximately two to four inches of accumulation on pavement, and with the potential for larger quantities on grassy surfaces - maybe up to six to ten inches on grassy surfaces," said Briski.
And with that in mind, workers will have 12-hour shifts to make sure the roads stay salted and safe until the snowfall is done. The plan is to have crews head out to start salting the roads Thursday night, ahead of the expected snowfall between 3 and 4 a.m. Friday.
"We'll get a warning two hours prior to an event starting, so that gives our staff time to mobilize - and then start salting the roads as soon as we get that warning," said Birski. "So this would be what we call a full-callout operation, where we'll have 21 front line plow trucks out on the road plowing and salting 219 center-lane miles of village roadways."
In neighboring Roselle, at Roselle Ace Hardware at the corner Nerge and Plum Grove Road, homeowners like Michelle Mortensen were getting prepared for the expected snowfall too.
"I bought a shovel today, and also some oil for our snowblower. We went to go try our snowblower - as we're expected to get like 10 inches of snow - so we were hoping to use our snowblower, but we have no oil," Mortensen said, "so I came out for that, and also an extra shovel - since we only have one at home."
Mortensen said she is looking forward to the snowfall - and her dogs love it too. But she is not looking forward to how cold it's going to be afterward.
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service says this storm system bears a striking similarity to the so-called "heart-attack snowstorm" that hit Chicago on Dec. 15, 1987. Around the Chicago area, 34 people died after shoveling heavy, wet snow, CBS 2's Walter Jacobson reported at the time.
With up to 10 inches set to fall, Briski had a word of advice.
"If you don't have to leave your house, stay at home, wait till everything's cleared out. If you're not able to have your driveway cleared, you know, try to call some people to help you out – or can use a service to help you clear your driveway," said Briski, "and when the plow trucks are out on the road, if you have to be out there, just keep your distance - keep a safe distance – and you know, let them do their job."
Schaumburg School District 54 said they are monitoring the situation, but late Thursday, no decisions had been made about school on Friday.