CINCINNATI — The snow fell fast and flurry-ous Thursday evening saturating side streets and highways with frozen flakes making the roads dangerous for drivers.
“We ask for your patience,” said Cincinnati Traffic and Road Operations Superintendent Jarrod Bolden.
That’s exactly what drivers across the city had to practice as sheets of snow fell in heavy blankets just in time for the evening commute and left roadways impassable.
“It’s very difficult for us to move,” Bolden said. “Obviously, there’s more cars on the road during rush hour traffic.”
He said it wasn’t a lack of preparation on the part of the city, but bad luck that ultimately snarled city streets.
“I think it’s a combination of timing and at the rate the snow fell,” Bolden said. “Snow came down pretty quickly.”
The city is adapting its approach as conditions shift throughout the week.
“With cold temperatures like we have tonight, and paved temperatures below freezing and predicted to be below freezing the majority of the night, we use calcium chloride with our salt to be a little bit more effective,” Bolden said.
Drivers still sidelined by heavy snow should see improvements soon.
“We have our crews out,” Bolden said. “They’ll be working 12 hours overnight to address the main thoroughfares first before we move to our residentials.”
Road crews ask that people stay home if possible, utilize off-street parking and give trucks space so crews can get road conditions back to normal as soon as possible.
