“We’ve had trucks fitted and we’ve had them for a couple of weeks because you just don’t know,” Burr said. “You can catch one of these surprising snowfalls and you need to be ready.”
Storm Center 7 meteorologists expected snow to develop in the region late Monday afternoon into the evening with Tuesday’s temperatures to be in the upper teens, and wind chills in the single digits.
About one to two inches of snow was forecast for Clark County and about two to four inches in Champaign County.
Clouds will decrease through Tuesday afternoon, as highs only reach the upper 20s. The record for lowest temperature on this day in November is 30 degrees, set back in 1920.
Burr said his crews have completed “dry-runs” so the drivers know their route. He expected the first to get off at around midnight Tuesday and a second shift to take over for several hours later Tuesday morning.
The drivers are working for public safety, Burr said.
“Give them room to do their job,” he asked motorists. “Don’t tailgate them. They are slinging salt off the back. Don’t pass them, they will tell them when to pass. Let them do their job and give them some time. They are clearing the roads out there for you so let them do their job and stay away.”
The snowfall is a bit early in the year, but Burr said you never know what the winter weather is going to be like in Ohio.
“There is no normal time of year for snow,” he said. “It can fall anytime. Generally, by the first of November, we have trucks up-fitted and ready to go.”
And while plow trucks are on the road for the safety of motorists, homeless advocates are working to prepare for another winter in Springfield.
Fred Stegner, president of the Springfield Soup Kitchen, said he is opening up the kitchen Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. as a warming center. He said he will have it open until 5 p.m.
The cold weather can be deadly to people who are living on the streets, Stegner said. He said he knows people who live on porches, under bridges and in vehicles who need a place to go when temperatures fall. He said there are many more people who live in apartments or houses with no heat who also need way to stay warm.
Stegner said the city has a plan between the soup kitchen, Interfaith Hospitality Network and St. Vincent DePaul that allows them to open with overflow when temperatures drop to around 10 degrees.
Stegner said he believes that the number is too low and people need shelter way before the temperature drops too low double digits. He also said the communication to the homeless when overflow is activated needs to improve. Currently, Facebook, signs on windows and police dispatch are the ways the news is communicated to the homeless.
While the record low for Tuesday night is expected to dip into the teens, it is unclear if overflow will be activated.
Frigid temperatures are forecast again for Wednesday with a high around 30, according to Storm Center 7 meteorologists. The temperatures are expected to reach back up to 40 on Thursday and into the low 40s on Friday.
Facts & Figures
1 to 2 inches of snow accumulation in Clark County
2 to 4 inches of snow accumulation in Champaign County
Temperatures in the teens in both counties
Source: Storm Center 7
The Springfield News-Sun provides the best weather coverage and tips to keeping your family safe this winter.
About the Author