Jan. 9, 2020
The first lowland snowfall to hit Lakewood in the new year arrived Thursday with large flakes and (luckily) bare and wet roads.
As we head into the weekend with temperatures predicted to drop below freezing and the potential for more lowland snow to arrive, Lakewood’s maintenance and operation crews are ready to respond.
The city’s crews were called in early Thursday (3:30 a.m.!) and were on the roads before the morning commute applying salt to slick areas identified by Lakewood police officers working the graveyard shift.
Crews continued that work into the morning, stopping once the temperatures rose enough to warm the roads so that black ice didn’t remain.
The city will continue to monitor the forecast and fine tune its plan to respond to ice or snow over the weekend.
Priority response routes are identified below. Once all the routes listed as priority 1 are complete, crews will immediately begin with priority 2 and then priority 3 streets.
Drivers are reminded to drive for conditions. That includes slowing speeds, giving more following distance and giving yourself extra time to reach your destination.
It’s also a good idea to keep additional items in your vehicle, such as a hat, gloves, boots or waterproof shoes, blanket, extra water and snacks, should you find yourself stuck or stranded during a weather event.
In the fall the city’s crews reviewed inclement weather procedures and dusted off snow and ice response equipment to make sure everything was working before the first snow or ice event hit. Watch the video for more information.