HANCOCK COUNTY — There’s no doubt — it’s winter in Indiana with more bad weather on the way.
Street superintendents and public safety officials in Greenfield and Hancock County are preparing for another weekend of snowy weather with a 100 percent chance of heavy snow Saturday.
Depending on the track of the storm, the area can expect as much as 6 to 9 inches of snow or as little as 3 to 5, said Marc Dahmer, National Weather Service meteorologist.
“The track of the system could change, but either way people should be prepared for significant snow,” Dahmer said.
This weekend’s impending storm will be more treacherous than last weekend’s first major snowfall of the season. High winds and below-zero temperatures will accompany it by Sunday.
That forecast has city and county officials taking the storm seriously.
“This is going to be a real storm, so don’t go out unless you really need to,” said Gary Pool of the Hancock County Highway Department.
His crews were already in gear Wednesday afternoon loading up salt for today’s weather and had plans to use as many as 15 trucks to cover 700 miles of county roads this weekend.
Pool warns that with the high winds, drifting snow will make roads even more dangerous despite efforts to keep them clear.
“We can spend hours working on a road, but with the kind of winds we’re expecting, it can look like we haven’t done anything,” Pool said.
County officials have ordered 1,000 tons of new salt to make sure crews can handle the weather expected this weekend and the coming week, during which even more snow is expected.
If people have to get out and drive in the foul weather, it’s going to be safest for them to travel via state roads, Pool said, since the Indiana Department of Transportation has more manpower and resources to keep the highways clear.
Tyler Rankins of the Greenfield Street Department also suggests people stay home during the storm and after to give crews time and space to clean up.
If people have a vehicle parked on a city street, Greenfield officials are asking it be moved by Friday night to give the bigger plow trucks room to get in and prep streets as well as clear them.
They’re also requesting people be mindful and give snowplow drivers plenty of room and not follow too closely.
Greenfield officials have also ordered more salt — 600 tons — and while Rankins is hoping for lower snow totals this weekend, he has to plan for the worst-case scenario, which could be 9 inches.
“It’s that time of the year, and we have to be on our toes,” Rankins said.
His crews will rely on information from the Greenfield Police Department, which will let them know when the roads turn slick and need to be plowed.
Pool would also like to remind area residents that subdivision streets, are going to be the worst because they will likely be the last ones cleared.
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The county’s emergency operations team will be busy this weekend. Officials offer these guidelines on when its appropriate to call 911
You can call 911 for:
– A crash where people are injured
– A medical emergency
– A crash in the middle of the road
Call the non-emergency number (317) 477-4400 for:
– A crash in a parking lot with no injuries
– A vehicle that is broken down or in a ditch
– An impassable road
You can also TEXT 911 from your phone, but do not text and drive.
Source: Hancock County 911 Center
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