More than two dozen Columbia snow plow drivers are currently in their trucks Saturday night plowing first and second priority routes.
The National Weather Service (NWS) in St. Louis has issued a winter storm warning for Columbia and for the entire 939 the Eagle mid-Missouri listening area.
Columbia Public Works dispatched 28 operators at noon today (Saturday) to pretreat roads, then shifted to plowing priority routes when the snow and sleet began at about 4:30 pm. They were relieved by a second crew of 25 operators, which came in at 7 tonight and will work all night. 33 operators will be on-duty by 7 am on Sunday.
Columbia officials have sent out a text alert informing residents that parking on first and second priority routes like Broadway, Green Meadows, Vandiver and Fairview is now prohibited, due to expected overnight slow accumulations of two inches of more. Vehicles parked on first and second priority routes may be ticketed or towed.
Authorities also remind you to check your tires, to clear all snow and ice from windows and to use your headlights to improve visibility.
Columbia’s Public Works department prepped snowplows, materials and equipment ahead of the storm. 939 the Eagle News rode with a snow plow driver during Columbia Public Works’ November dry run to test snow plows for winter weather. Public Works engineering and operations manager Richard Stone tells 939 the Eagle that the dry run was successful, adding that winter weather preparation is year-round.
