Streets And Sanitation Enter Phase 3, With 287 Snow Plows On Streets
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The city has upgraded its snow-fighting plan to a Phase Three, putting 287 plows on the streets.
In a Sunday afternoon news conference outside the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, Commissioner Charles Williams urged drivers to pay attention to the plows on the roads. Williams said there have been no major accidents involving plows in the last 24 hours. WBBM's Michele Fiore reports.
"So far the drivers have been pretty well, no major accidents that I am aware of," Williams said. "We do encourage them to drive safely for the conditions."
Besides plowing, the city's also salting all major and side streets. Commissioner Williams said they got a break. Williams was asked whether the break in the snow was a good thing for his crews.
"From a standpoint that you are dealing with about three to four inches at a time, makes it easy," Williams said. "But it is also very taxing on your crews, because now, you are adding in additional reliefs that you have to add in."
The second round of snowfall, which could bring an additional three to four inches to the city, began to fall Sunday afternoon. Mild temperatures helped the crews, as they salted. The salt was working well with temperatures hovering around 30-degrees Sunday afternoon.
But, something else made Sunday's snowfall more difficult. While the first flakes were light and fluffy, the second were heavy and wet. Williams said take it easy; shovel in shifts, not all at once.
Williams said he spoke with Mayor Rahm Emanuel Sunday afternoon to assure him that Chicago will have a normal start to the work week and school week come Monday morning.
The plows will continue to operate well into the early morning hours Monday.