Md. State Highway Crews Watching For Snow
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Winter blast on the horizon. Emergency personnel across the state are preparing for several inches of snowfall.
The State Highway Administration currently has dozens of trucks pre-treating roads with salt and sand.
Rochelle Ritchie has more on what the city is doing ahead of the storm.
Streets and highways across the city have already been pre-treated. More than 200 plows and 15,000 tons of salt are on standby in preparation for Sunday night's storm.
Baltimore City is just a few short hours away from what is expected to be a significant snowstorm hitting all major areas along the northeast, including Maryland.
"In preparation for that, as of 8 p.m. tonight, the city will go into full snow activation. We'll also be activating the EOC at 8 p.m.," said William Johnson, Maryland Department of Transportation.
That means all city agencies will begin coordinating in preparation for the snow, with more than 300 employees who will head to work and pre-treat primary and secondary roadways and neighborhood streets.
"Because of the duration of this event being almost two and a half days, we anticipate that this is going to be an extended response. The city's prepared with over 15,000 tons of salt," said Johnson.
Across the city, plows are being filled with salt in preparation for the storm.
The State Highway Administration has also been ahead of the storm, treating major highways, but says motorists should still be cautious.
"The temperatures at night are going down into the 20s. So anything that appears wet, I like to tell people assume it's ice and just slow down," said Charlie Gischler, Maryland State Highway Administration.
Inside of the EOC, there are more than 20 displays. At any moment, officials can tap into more than 100 cameras across the city to monitor road conditions.
Last year's snowfall caused a mess on the roads, and a number of motorists found themselves stuck.
The city says lessons learned in 2014 have made them better prepared for 2015.
"We'll also have extra tow trucks out on the JFX in areas where we have hills, bridges and overpasses that might freeze or ice. So if motorists become stranded, we can provide them with support," Johnson said.
City officials are urging people to stay off the roads--for their own safety and so crews can do their jobs efficiently.
Officials say the plows will hit the streets if they see a slushy accumulation on the streets of two inches or more. Less than that, they will treat mainly with salt.
Stay tuned to WJZ for First Warning Weather updates or download our weather app for the latest.
We will be on the air early Monday morning starting at 4:30 a.m.
