Safety officials from Lincoln and Lancaster County held a press conference Wednesday to highlight ways they’re preparing for potential blizzard conditions forecast from Wednesday through Friday. Liz Elliot, Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Director, started the conference discussing the ways the city is keeping its roads safe and how residents can keep track of LTU’s progress.
The press conference was held as the National Weather Service says a Winter Storm Warning is in effect from noon Wednesday, to 7 PM Friday. Blizzard conditions are possible with winds up to 45 mph, light icing and snow accumulations up to three inches. A Wind Chill Warning is also in effect from 12:01 AM Thursday to noon, Saturday. Wind chills as low as 45 below zero are possible.
Elliot said the city’s snowplows are equipped with GPS tracking devices, and the community can use the online snowplow tracker when considering making snow-related service requests. She added that crews are better able to respond to requests after a storm has passed and after arterial streets have been worked on.
Residents may make a service request at UPLNK.lincoln.ne.gov.
Lancaster County Engineer Pam Dingman also spoke at the conference and spoke about the challenges the county faces to keep roads safe. Only about 300 of the 1,400 miles of county roads are paved, and many of them are not lit.
“In the county,” began Dingman, “we will be using primarily salt and sand as the storm progresses, mainly because of the conditions of the snow and blowing snow. We just don’t have enough things that impede that snow.” Dingman also said due to the ongoing supply chain issue, the county is short of snowplows and materials needed to repair and maintain them.
Dingman urges anyone who needs to abandon their vehicle on a county road to call 402-441-6000 to let the Lancaster Sheriff’s Office know so as not to slow down the county’s efforts.
For more information on what Lincoln Police Department and Lincoln Fire and Rescue said regarding this week’s winter weather, see the story at KLIN.com.