As the winter storm system comes into the area, the Moberly Public Works department will have a crew on standby overnight on Friday, and crews will work all weekend as needed.
Current forecasts indicate extreme cold and low precipitation numbers, however City crews are prepared to address higher snowfalls. Public Works has a fleet of 12 vehicles online this weekend, including four dump trucks and 8 pickups, along with
skid loaders, tractors, and UTV plows positioned in downtown. Crews will focus on intersections, hills, and curves as surfaces become slick and then move into the remaining community as precipitation increases.
Plow drivers are assigned to individual wards to focus the workload equally across the city. Some neighborhoods are more difficult to clear because of extensive on-street parking. In heavy storms with over 3 inches of accumulation, snow routes go into effect. These are cleared early, and side streets are addressed as quickly as possible. It is important that residents who live on snow routes move vehicles to off-street parking so crews can plow more effective. Downtown residents received reminders this week that all downtown streets are considered snow routes and that they should use municipal lots until streets are cleared.
The alleyways are considered a secondary form of egress. Due to the difficulty of running a plow in narrow pathways and the displacement of gravel, they are not cleared in residential or downtown areas. While plow operators are conscious of where they direct material, inevitably there is snow left in driveway approaches. Because of limited manpower, the City does not clear individual drives.
The City uses a 50-50 ratio of sand and salt that is coated with Geomelt. This is an organic product derived from beet juice that increases the salt’s melting power at low temperatures. In the weather conditions expected this weekend however, there is a point where temperatures reach a level that any product loses effectiveness. Contrary to some reports, the City is never in danger of running out of material. Up to 600 tons of mixed product is housed onsite at the Street Department on North Morley in preparation for snow operations at any given time. The City has standing orders for raw materials at both the Hutchison, KS salt mine, as well as the Missouri River sand plant that are filled regularly as the season progresses.
Finally, staying warm also means staying safe. Residents should use caution with electric space heaters and never use gas heaters in unventilated areas. The Room at the Inn overnight warming center at Central Christian Church located at 300 East Coates Street is available all weekend.