The Kansas City metropolitan area started gearing up yesterday for the season's first winter storm. One to three inches of snow was forecast for the area overnight.
And in Kansas City, Missouri, snow plow crews have been driving their routes at least monthly since June.
Sean Demory, Public Information Officer for Public Works, says over the summer, snow plows in the streets caused some second glances and phone calls. "I’ve gotten a number of calls from people, saying, 'It’s 105 degrees outside, why are there snow trucks on the road?,'" he says.
Demory says crews have been practicing so they’ll know their routes forwards and backwards.
"They’ll know potential danger spots, and they’ll know their vehicles and how their vehicles work on those roadways," he says. "We are confident that our drivers are able to address any challenges that come up."
Crews reported for duty at 11:30 last night. And this year, for the first time in Kansas City, Mo,. snow plows will be tracked through a GPS system. Residents will be able to view the progress in real time on a map on the city’s website.
Like many cities in the metropolitan area, Kansas City, Mo., has a surplus of materials because of last year’s mild winter.
Demory listed the inventory, as of yesterday: "We have about 37,000 tons of salt currently in our salt domes. We have a standing order for an additional 10 tens of salt to be delivered after January 1 basically just to restock. We also have about 30,000 gallons of liquid calcium chloride and 18,000 gallons of salt brine, so we can treat major roadways and get them cleared that much faster."
Over the last few days, city crews started treating streets with brine to prevent the snow from sticking to the streets.
