MADISON (WKOW) -- The Madison Streets Division has more than 70 trucks working on salt routes Tuesday morning.
As of 9:00 a.m., Streets Superintendent Chris Kelley says crews are doing everything they can to keep major streets passable. They will continue the effort until the snow stops.
The City of Madison and WKOW meteorologists anticipate the evening commute to be slow and will be particularly bad on residential streets. Madison trucks will not start plowing those streets until the storm has played itself out.
The City of Madison anticipates it will declare a snow emergency for Tuesday and Wednesday night. That decision will be made between 11 a.m. and noon Tuesday.
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MADISON (WKOW) -- The Madison Streets Department has revised its plow plan since the snow hasn't started falling yet early Tuesday morning.
As of 5:00 a.m., street crews have 32 snow plows on stand-by, ready for when the snow hits.
Madison Streets Superintendent Chris Kelley says once the snow starts they will start clearing the roads. They will still focus on main roads first and not clear residential side streets until the snow stops falling.
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MADISON (WKOW) -- The real weather emergency to worry about Monday night is the snow storm heading our way. It will result in dangerous driving conditions and another long night for city plow operators.
26 City of Madison crews will hit the streets Monday night with another 32 scheduled to roll out at midnight.
After the fourth snowiest February on record, there is no slowdown.
"February's just a little longer this year," quipped Chris Kelley, Madison Streets Superintendent.
Plowing efforts will go on throughout the day on Tuesday, with the worst conditions expected for afternoon rush hour.
"We will have some issues going home tomorrow afternoon," said Kelley. "Tomorrow morning commute shouldn't be bad. We'll have enough crews out that should be OK."
"It's pretty much another day at the office for us," said Craig Hardy, the Iowa County Highway Commissioner.
With the heaviest amount of snow expected for southwest Wisconsin, the Iowa County Highway Department is bracing for another sleepless night.
"We've been stretched thin as the winter wears on as far as staffing goes. Everybody's getting a little tired of it, but when the snow starts falling they all show up and we go to work," said Hardy.
But its not just the staffing that's getting stretched thin in smaller counties and cities. The budgets are as well.
"We've had to cut back on construction improvements," said Hardy. "We should do about ten miles a year, we've been doing about three to four."
Improvements along an awful stretch of Highway T is one project that will likely have to wait, as will a lot of routine crack filling and seal coating.
"When you have to feed one, it takes away from the other two," said Hardy.
And the work overnight, must go on.
"151 and Hwy. 18 we plow 24 hours a day. So, we'll be on that once the snow starts we'll be with it 'til it quits," said Hardy.
The Madison Streets Department does not expect to do any plowing on residential side streets until the snow stops Tuesday night.
