By Shavonne Potts
Salisbury Post
It could be a repeat performance today for area residents seeing the white stuff.
A few inches of snow and freezing rain fell Thursday and more is expected today.
According to the National Weather Service, precipitation may start out as rain or a mix of rain and snow.
As the day progresses, rain will change over to snow and remain predominantly snow.
Most areas are expected to receive between one and three inches of snowfall before precipitation tapers off this afternoon and evening.
The high is expected to hover around 36 degrees, with a low in the 20s later tonight.
Before the streets are masked with snow, transportation crews are working overtime to prepare for the winter weather.
The anti-icing program is the N.C. Department of Transportation’s first defense against winter weather, and crews were pre-treating major routes with a special salt and water solution or salt brine.
Chuck White, county maintenance engineer with the N.C. Department of Transportation, said his department will spray salt brine on primary routes that include Interstate 85, U.S. 29, N.C. 801 and N.C. 152, as well as heavily traveled secondary roads.
“It’s a 19 percent salt/water solution. Once it dries it leaves a salt residue,” White explained.
The dried residue looks like a white paste, he added.
The brine sticks to the road and will keep ice from bonding to the pavement during the first few hours of the storm.
White said crews are on standby and when the storm hits, they’ll start salting the roads.
“Saturday night we’ll keep a skeleton crew on hand,” he said.
As precipitation starts to accumulate, the NCDOT uses salt to treat the roads. According to a statement, the department currently has 150,000 tons of salt in storage statewide.
Salisbury Street Division Manager Steve Weatherford and his staff worked all day Friday to prepare the roads.
“We’re transitioning from what we did the other night,” he said.
Before crews begin plowing snow, “we have to see what the temperatures will be like before it freezes,” Weatherford said.
He said the snow plows and salt spreaders are ready to go.
In addition to the department’s third shift, there is also a crew on standby.
Crews have planned to be available today and Sunday, if needed.
Instead of using salt brine, the crews will use slag, which is a salt and sand mixture.
“The slag helps motorists with traction and it also helps melt the snow and ice,” Weatherford said.
The NCDOT reminds motorists that if travel is absolutely necessary, to follow precautions:
– Clear windows and mirrors.
– Reduce speed and leave plenty of room between you and other vehicles.
– Bridges and overpasses accumulate ice first. Approach them with caution and do not apply brakes while on the bridge.
– If you begin to slide, take your foot off the gas and turn the steering wheel in the direction of the slide.
– Come to a complete stop or yield the right of way when approaching an intersection; treat it as a four-way stop.
For road conditions, call 511, the state’s toll-free travel information line.
Contact Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253 or spotts@salisburypost.com.