Montgomery County is prepared for Thursday’s winter storm that may bring between two to four inches of snow by Friday morning. The National Weather Service has issued as winter storm advisory for Thursday from 9 p.m. through 7 a.m. on Friday.
The county storm operations crews are scheduled to start at 9 p.m. Thursday. The county Storm Operations Center will activate at 10 p.m. to respond to requests for service from emergency agencies. The county transportation’s priority is to maintain access to hospitals on major roadways, according to a media release.
County snowplows have rubber-tipped blades that will allow main roads to be plowed early. Residential roads are not typically plowed until about three inches of snow accumulate and major roads are sufficiently clear.
The high number of COVID-19 cases is causing a shortage of snowplow operators and contractors. It may take longer than typical for neighborhood streets to be treated.
“We are ready for the storm,” said Montgomery County Department of Transportation Director Chris Conklin. “Our operators are on standby and will begin clearing as early and as often as possible, but it may take us a little longer, with the staff shortage, to reach all streets that experience significant snow accumulation.”
The county’s Ride On bus service is planning to operate on a normal schedule Friday. There may be some weather-related delays.
The county’s winter storm information portal webpage provides information about who plows each road, provides the status of snow removal, and provides a place for resident to submit a snow-related service request to the county or the state.
