NWS, Public Works Crews Monitoring Ever-Changing Weather Conditions
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- These drastic shifts in precipitation and temperatures have drivers on the defensive.
We have seen road surfaces wet, icy, slushy and snow-covered, and there are more changes on the way.
"Warmer temperatures, which we haven't seen in a while, which leads to potential flooding issues, back to cold weather, which leads to snow accumulation, then back to subzero temperatures later this week," says Fred McMullen, the warning coordinator at the National Weather Service. "So, it's an up and down roller coaster week ahead of us."
As warning coordinator, McMullen is monitoring the potential for ice jam flooding on some streams creeks, as well as river levels throughout the region.
Along with those natural threats, there's also a challenge with infrastructure.
"The bigger issue that we see is storm drains that are covered with snow, not being able to take the water in," said McMullen.
Mounds of snow and ice clogging vital storm sewer systems.
"And without that water moving into the corner drops, it's just going to cause a disaster," Gene Marsico, of Aspinwall Public Works, said.
It's keeping public works crews busy, preventing street flooding in towns like Aspinwall.
"There was a mound of snow that acted as a dam, and this was all puddled up halfway out in the street, so we came by with the machine, and this was before all the rain happened, and pushed it all down and cleaned everything up," said Marsico.
Easing the flow and getting all that melting snow moving before the next round moves in.
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