The city of Fort Dodge is preparing for a big winter storm as Iowans prepare to hit the road for Thanksgiving.
According to the city’s Public Works Director, Brett Daniel, its crews cannot lay brine down because the storm is expected to start off as rain.
“Anytime we get rain or a significant amount of rain it washed the brine treatment that we put on the road out. In fact, rather than not even making it work properly makes it detrimental to clean up on the roads,” Daniel told WHO-TV Channel 13.
Daniel said if the salt brine solution is diluted enough it could freeze and create more travel concerns.
The city plans to lay salt down as the storm comes through Tuesday night with 10 plow trucks and two loader vehicles. However, Daniel said right now the city has only half of the amount of salt it would like in storage.
“We are at about 900 tons. We usually order about 1,800 tons every year. We have more than enough to get through this storm and the next couple, but we are about halfway to what our supply normally is,” Daniel told WHO-TV Channel 13.
Daniel said a few more loads are expected to arrive next week. The city anticipates to clear 330 miles when the snow falls.
According to the State Climatologist of Iowa a record amount of seven inches of snow fell on November 26th 1952 in Fort Dodge.