CINCINNATI — A small army of salt trucks and plows are ready to respond to incoming winter weather in Greater Cincinnati as forecasts call for the threat of a winter storm Sunday into Monday.
Cincinnati Public Services crews will set out Saturday in preparation for a storm, the likes of which they haven't seen in years, said Jarrod Bolden, superintendent of traffic and road operations.
"We feel prepared, but that doesn't mean that Mother Nature can't provide us a lot of twists and turns," Bolden said. "What we try to do is maintain a flexible operation, so depending on what happens with the weather, we may have to readjust some of our plans."
Bolden said Public Services has 27,000 tons of salt at the ready and 60 drivers per every 12-hour shift.
"Hopefully most people have the luxury of staying in their warm home and staying comfortable," he said. "Let us handle the job out here in the cold, nasty weather."
Crews will begin pre-treating Cincinnati roads on Saturday, Bolden said, before tackling main roads and emergency hospital routes first on Sunday, then neighborhood streets.
"We want to have a passable lane 24 hours after the last snowfall," Bolden said. "So if it doesn't stop snowing, then we have to continue to work on those main thoroughfares."
Public Services is one of several agencies coordinating with Hamilton County's Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency.
"So one of the main things we want to do is stay aware of what the current forecast is and any potential impacts that we could see," Morgan Peterson, assistant director of the agency, said. "Oftentimes, we're coordinating with the National Weather Service and other entities such as ODOT, the county engineer's office."
When asked the last time she saw a storm of this caliber, Peterson said, "A couple years ago."
"This is something that you want to pay more attention to," Peterson said. "There's no need to be panicked or anything like that. However, you do want to make sure that you're ready for whatever the snow event might look like."
Considering the snowstorm presents a heightened risk for power outages, Peterson said, you'll want to prepare ahead of time: stock up on nonperishable food items, water and warm clothes.
"These are things that you probably do (have) on a regular basis, but you just want to make sure they're on hand before the event," Peterson said.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said it would have 17 trucks working early Friday, when they decide how to respond to Sunday's storm.
ODOT District 8 Public Information Officer Kathleen Fuller said they would have 33 trucks moving around southeast Ohio beginning late Thursday, and around 150 trucks would be available for whatever came in the second round.
"Rest assured, we are out," Fuller said.
Fuller acknowledged that if the storm Sunday was as bad as it has been projected in some models, it could be an uphill battle to clear roadways in a reasonable time.
"If we get a lot of snow right away, it just starts to cover up the pavement. There isn't a whole lot you can do. So we'll just have the trucks out, the plows down, as soon as the next round hits," Fuller said.
Some of the safety would be up to drivers in the meantime.
AAA senior manager Larry Patterson urged people to do basic maintenance on their cars to avoid getting stranded.
"When we see these types of weather changes, our phones are ringing off the hook," Patterson said.
Patterson said checking the car's coolant level, airing up the tires, replacing wiper blades and ensuring the battery is good are all the bare minimum to handle the approaching system.
ODOT noted basic maintenance is important because there are 4,667 miles of roadway for crews to plow or treat.
"It may be a while before you see them, but, rest assured, they are out," Fuller said.
Ohio State Highway Patrol urged caution in the coming storm.
The department said last winter there were 8,104 crashes on snowy or icy roadways resulting in 15 deaths. A fifth of those were caused by unsafe speeds on slick roads, according to OSHP.
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