Although snow is still in the forecast, Ohio and Kentucky road crews expect Monday night to be easier on them than last week — meaning overnight and Tuesday morning commuters likely have a smoother, less slippery road ahead of them, too.
Local Ohio Department of Transportation spokesperson Kathleen Fuller said rain on Jan. 27 and over the weekend prevented crews on both sides of the river from pre-treating roads.
RELATED: COVID-related staff shortages meant snow treatment on Cincinnati streets fell short
That limitation led to a delayed response and contributed, in part, to the city of Cincinnati implementing its emergency crash-reporting procedure: Don’t call police after a wreck, just exchange info, get home and contact law enforcement later.
“We don’t have any rain in the forecast, just straight snow,” Fuller said Monday. “It’s a little bit easier.”
And salt residue from the last few days will help keep some roads clear, said local Kentucky Transportation Cabinet spokesperson Nancy Wood.
“As they work throughout the night, there's already a lot of salt residue, so they won't really need to pre-treat for this next event,” she said.
KYTC has 133 trucks available, if needed, to treat and clear roads. ODOT has over 145, according to Fuller.
The city of Cincinnati’s Department of Public Services, which lost nearly a third of its complement to COVID-19 quarantines last week, had regained a few by Monday. The city will have 51 of its 70 trucks on the roads.
Crews in both states expect to work all night.
Fuller cautioned drivers to take the journeys slow and be mindful that conditions can change quickly, no matter the forecast or what the weather looked like when you left your home.
A spokesperson for AAA said the most common snow- and ice-related crashes they handle are people sliding off the road. Like Fuller, the spokesperson encouraged slower-than-usual journeys overnight and into the morning.
