CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Public Works Director Brent Webster says snow removal crews can begin to make some progress with a break in the snow at least until Thursday evening.
Work done Monday afternoon and Monday night got covered up with a fresh coating to an inch of snow that came through during morning rush hour Tuesday.
“The salt works and we are being diligent out there running the routes. Early this morning (Tuesday) some of the roads were looking pretty good but when it snowed like that it just covered everything back out. We’re have to go back out, apply more salt and give it more attention,” Webster said.
Seventeen two-man crews have been working since the first snow hit on Sunday.
“They’re doing a great job–they are getting some breaks here and there,” Webster said. “I think they see the light at the end of the tunnel on this one.”
The next concern is single-digit temperatures in the forecast for Tuesday night. Kanawha County is under a wind chill advisory from the National Weather Service. Webster said unfortunately road salt doesn’t work well when it’s that cold.
“if we get down to single-digits the salt will greatly lose its effectiveness,” Webster said.
The high temperature for Wednesday is forecasted for 27 degrees with sunshine. Webster said that will help.
“There’s some benefit to that. It would help the roads a little bit doing the daylight hours. We’ll be able to shape them up,” he said.
The next snow could move in during evening rush hour Thursday. Webster said it’s important to make great progress before then.
“We want to get as much snow and ice off the roadways as possible, to get them as black and treated as possible,” Webster said.