CINCINNATI — Cincinnatians who can stay home Thursday night should, city officials said during a press conference to discuss preparation efforts ahead of a storm that's expected to bring dangerous temperatures and hazardous conditions to the region.
"If you can stay in the comfort of your home, stay at home," said Jarrod Bolden, superintendent of the traffic and road operations division for the City of Cincinnati.
Starting at 7 p.m. Thursday night, plow and salt truck drivers will hit the streets in 12-hour shifts to try and combat anticipated ice and snow accumulation. The city will have roughly 115 drivers out — around 55 to 56 per 12-hour shift — who will focus first on main thoroughfares and hospital routes before tackling residential streets.
"We can't control mother nature but what we can control is our effort," said Bolden.
Bolden asked for the public's patience, because the storm is anticipated to bring rapidly-dropping temperatures that will freeze the rain that falls Thursday afternoon before snow accumulation will layer on top. Because of that, Bolden said drivers will need to make multiple passes over the same routes before they can move on, slowing their ability to get to residential routes.
"This is probably the worst combination for our drivers to deal with," said Bolden.
The rain throughout Thursday also means it's not possible to thoroughly pre-treat roads, since the rain would just wash everything away.
Another challenge for crews will be the frigid temperatures that render rock salt less effective, Bolden said. Because of that, crews anticipate they'll need to use additives to fight icy conditions as temperatures plummet into negative digits in just a few hours.
"This is not a one round thing, our drivers may have to work multiple 12-hour shifts," said Bolden. "I feel comfortable with our employees, they're dedicated workers ... I have all the confidence in them."
Armed with 27,000 tons of salt, 54,500 gallons of calcium chloride, 21,500 gallons of beet juice and 63,000 gallons of brine, crews will begin their efforts at around 7 p.m., once the rain is expected to stop.
Bolden emphasized that residents should stay home — those who had plans to travel are encouraged to move their plans if they can and prepare ahead if they cannot. To help crews clear the ice and snow more effectively, residents should move their cars to off-street parking where they can, leaving streets open for crews to maneuver.
The city will provide updates throughout the storm on their snow plow tracker site and through their social media pages.
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