Road Crews Prep For Big Snow
DETROIT (WWJ) - Michigan will be a winter wonderland before you know it. Forecasters are predicting around up to 18 inches total by end of the day Wednesday.
Accuweather's Dave Bowers says we expect the storm to hit in two parts -- 2 to 4 inches falling starting at 12 a.m. Tuesday into the morning. That will be followed by the main event -- which Bowers says will be "essentially blizzard conditions," dropping another eight to twelve inches of snow on Metro Detroit Tuesday night into Wednesday.
On local highways, preparations are already being made ahead of the weather. Wayne County road crews are out in advance of the first wave of what could be the biggest snow fall of this season.
WWJ spoke, Monday evening, with Wayne County Roads Commission Director Michael Rogers, who says there's work to be done before the storm blows in.
"Many of our crews are out right now doing anti-icing. We're spraying many of the roads, the overpasses, the bridges, the raps, with a brine solution. And why we're doing that is so that we don't have the ice actually build up on the roadways," Rodgers said.
Rogers says preventive maintenance work is being preformed on Wayne County's fleet of trucks so they will be able to roll out and into action Tuesday and Wednesday.
Rogers says that, at least so far, the salt supply has been sufficient.
According to the National Weather Service, heavy snow accumulations on roads may severely affect travel, and may make it dangerous to attempt.
Forecasters say visibilities may be reduced to one mile or less in snow and blowing snow and heavy snow on trees and power-lines may cause power outages. Wind chills are expected to fall to between 0 and -5 Tuesday night.
Meantime, a local hotel is offering reduced rates this week at two of its locations, so people don't have to drive long distances in the expected big snow. (More on this).
For the latest, stay with WWJ Newsradio 950, your winter survival station, during Traffic and Weather, every 10 minutes on the 8s.
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