Snow worries: Alton prepares for snowfall this week

Jan 3, 2017 1:10 PM Jan 3, 2017 2:03 PM

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ALTON - The National Weather Service (NWS) has predicted as much as one inch of snow may fall between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.

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NWS meteorologist, Charlie Kelly, said the snowfall is expected to start falling Wednesday night into Thursday. He said he does not "expect too much," saying "maybe an inch" could fall during that time. Currently, the storm system is off the coast of the Pacific Northwest. After it passes, Kelly said temperatures will fall into the 20s for the foreseeable future, or at least until this weekend.

Alton Public Works Director Bob Barnhart is saying his department is preparing for the weather conditions. He said the city's winter weather management truck fleet will be readied throughout the day Wednesday, with pre-treatment occurring on some of the city's more difficult concrete and brick hills.

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"We will be ready for anything this time," he said.

He said the city will be ready for whenever the snow comes into town. He said current forecasts predict the snow will either arrive late in the afternoon or into the evening on Wednesday. Neither Kelly or Barnhart expect any ice to come from this system, but Barnhart said he is prepared if it does.

"The salt we have has calcium already mixed in," he said. "Some of it is already blue, but we have a lot of calcium if it isn't. We can throw 10 or 20 gallons in a salt truck. We have plenty back there. We will play the situation as it comes in."

Calcium chloride lowers the freezing point of water even further than salt can. It is added to road salt during especially frigid temperatures to ensure melted ice does not refreeze.

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