As several cities and counties issue snow emergencies ahead of a winter storm capable of dropping nearly one foot of snow on the Tri-State area, plow drivers and road crews are already getting to work in preparation.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans to have three dedicated trucks clearing the six-mile stretch of I-71/75 leading up to the Brent Spence Bridge through the duration of Monday's storm.
"With extreme temperatures like we're seeing and also the amounts that could be coming our way, it's going to be a slow go," said Nancy Wood, spokesperson for KYTC District 6. "So our crews are ready to work 12-hour shifts. They'll work throughout the night, reload and keep running the routes."
The Ohio Department of Transportation tweeted a video urging people to stay off the roads as much as possible so crews that have been preparing for this are able to be as effective as possible. In the video, Mandi Dillon, spokesperson for ODOT in Southwest Ohio, explained that extremely low temperatures on Monday will hinder the efficacy of salting roads.
Snow is on the way and ODOT crews are ready! pic.twitter.com/Rna1qRo2vQ
— ODOT Cincinnati (@ODOT_Cincinnati) February 14, 2021
The Indiana Department of Transportation similarly tweeted that crews are out ahead of time to treat roads and begin plowing as soon as the snowfall begins, which is expected to happen shortly after midnight Sunday night.
No snow just yet, but it will be moving into SE Indiana over the next few hours. #YellowTrucks are out in parts of the district to begin patrolling ahead of the storm. Use caution if traveling overnight into tomorrow morning. #INDOTWinterOps pic.twitter.com/44rT9Zmx5w
— INDOT Southeast (@INDOTSoutheast) February 15, 2021
Officials in each state have encouraged people to stay home, work remotely or take the day off if possible to avoid being out during the storm.
Shoppers in the region have been doing their own preparations, so much so that groceries and businesses have seen bare shelves, particularly where snow shovels and salt were once stocked.
The McCabe Do It Center on Delhi Pike sold out of snow shovels in one day and went through more salt than ever before.
"We'll usually have about six to eight pallets of salt in the back that we never touch," said Carl Doffing, assistant manager at the Delhi Pike McCabe Do It Center. "We'll just leave them for next year. This year we went through about 20 to 22 pallets of salt within three days."
