Subzero temperatures and frozen roads
Winter and snow, a combination that fits together like butter and bread. However, if there’s one thing that people can agree on, it’s that driving through snow and icy roads has never been a great experience. For the past few weeks, snowfall has been on and off. It seems each day it snows more than the day before. Add in the subzero temperatures, and being outside becomes a danger, as frostbite can happen to any exposed skin within minutes.
Last week on the 16th, according to Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Director Liz Elliott, road workers continued to address the icy roads that were caused by below freezing temperatures as well as the snow that was left behind by the two winter storms which left the area with almost nine inches of snow. In order to combat the icy road conditions, winter operation teams have been applying brine and granular salts. However, according to Elliott, it hasn’t been fully effective, due to the negative temperature combined with the wind chills. Officials also announced a ban on parking beside the roads from the 17th until the 19th as it might slow down the cleaning of roads within “snow removal districts”. These districts include Downtown, University Place, Havelock, Bethany, College View, 11th and “G”, 17th and Washington and 25th and Sumner.
The Lincoln Transportation and Utilities (LTU) department has also reminded residents about the effectiveness of salt and sand. Rock salt by itself works best in temperatures over fifteen degrees. Depending on the wind chill, time of day and presence of sunlight, brine can be utilized after the temperature drops to negative single digits. Not all residential roadways are treated with brine and granular salt as part of the City of Lincoln's Winter Operations Program. Abrasives such as sand and gravel are quickly rendered ineffective, usually by being crushed into the snow or moved away from driving surfaces in as little as three vehicle passes. LTU limits use of sand to trouble spots reported by travelers and on bridges.
Dangerous road conditions especially on the I-80 freeway resulted in a motor vehicle accident which left one individual dead. Another incident also occurred on Highway 77 on the northbound lane where a semi truck crashed into a pickup truck with four occupants inside. The incident left all four occupants of the pickup injured.
By Robert Tengker