As temperatures plummeted into the single digits this week, Jefferson City street workers have been trying to maintain local roads.
Street workers had to maintain the roads after Jefferson City received snow and ice over the weekend and earlier this week. Britt Smith, operation division director for the Jefferson City Department of Public Works, said street workers remove the snow and salt the roads quickly when it does snow or ice.
The strength of the storm and time it is supposed to pass through Jefferson City dictates whether street workers pre-treat the roads.
"There's no cookbook for how you do it," Smith said. "It's looking at the conditions today and what's forecast and figuring out the best plan of attack."
Street workers salted the roads Tuesday ahead of the snow, since it was expected to come before evening rush hour, to keep the roads safe during high-traffic times.
Since the salt will remain on the roads until it washes away, Smith said, they most likely will not pre-treat the roads ahead of the next small snowstorm.
"If we were to have another event in the near future, we would not get out in front of it more than likely, especially with the temperatures the way they are," Smith said. "But let's say the temperatures warm up and we get rain, which happens often, it would clean those streets, and then we'd have to think about what we would need to do to pre-treat before that next storm comes around."
When temperatures drop below freezing, Smith said, the department has to ensure street workers' safety and not keep them out in the cold for too long.
While street workers normally repair concrete during the winter, the temperature must be above freezing. When temperatures are below freezing, street workers not only maintain the streets but also work on projects that won't keep them outside for long periods, such as servicing and maintaining street equipment, monitoring stormwater inlets and fixing potholes.