Washington braces for snowstorm

The JOURNAL

    The snow has recently receded thanks to a couple of warm days, but it will make an appearance today and return with a vengeance tomorrow. The National Weather Service is predicting 15 inches of snow for Tuesday with winds of 30 mph.

    An inch of snow is expected to fall on the area tonight. Tuesday morning should see mixed and freezing drizzle before noon. About 5 inches of snow is expected Tuesday morning and afternoon. The chance of precipitation is 90 percent. Blowing snow will begin Tuesday afternoon and continue through Wednesday morning.

    The area will see a wind chill of minus 5 Tuesday night and perhaps as many as 10 more inches of snow. The weather service has estimated the chance of precipitation Tuesday night at 100 percent. Snow is possible again Wednesday with a 40 percent chance of precipitation.

    Weather reports indicate that the combination of strong winds and powdery snow will make visibility poor Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Roads are expected to become snow-packed and slick as early as Tuesday afternoon.    

    City and county governments are sitting up and taking notice of the coming storm. Washington County Engineer David Patterson said this will be the first major storm of the winter. Patterson said the amount of snow doesn?t impact the county?s efforts as much as the high winds.

    ?If it?s blowing, 6 inches of snow may turn into 3 feet because of drifting,? said Patterson. 

    Patterson explained that blowing snow is the real problem for road workers because it can negate a whole day?s worth of work. The crew has to plow the roads a second time.

    The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) sometimes sprays salt brine on the roads before they freeze. The brine helps the salt adhere to the road, which prevents ice from forming on the road. Patterson said brine is expensive and the county doesn?t have the money for it. He said putting normal salt on the roads before a freeze doesn?t do any good because the cars kick it in the air and it blows away.

    Patterson said ice shouldn?t be much of a problem for this coming snowstorm. Much of the ice melted on Saturday.

    ?It?s good that we got the ice melted off the roads so it?s not as slippery for people driving on them,? he said.

    Patterson said that while it?s best if gravel roads have no ice covering them, it?s preferable that the roads themselves be frozen in the winter. If not, they become difficult to traverse.

    ?When gravel roads are frozen, they support weight better than when they?re muddy,? he said. ?It looks like they should remain frozen for another week. The forecast is for the weather to remain well below freezing.?

    While the DOT can run 24 hours per day, the county crew cannot. Patterson said he tries to limit the time his crew is out to 12 hours.

For the full story, see the Jan. 31 edition of The Washington Evening Journal