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TOP STORY OF THE DAY, brought to you FREE by WICU: County highway preps for winter, Walker predicts warmer temps
Considering 2020 has been a year of disharmony in many areas, getting ready for a potentially temperamental Mother Nature seems a safe bet.
That’s why the Clay County Highway Department has recently been busy preparing for winter’s arrival.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center, a tame winter season is expected early but won’t remain that way for long. After the calendar flips to 2021, NOAA’s Prediction Analysts believe Old Man Winter will eventually loosen his grip on the region.
Folks across the Great Lakes and Midwest will want to brace for some bitter spells of wintry weather with above-normal precipitation and a few heavy snowfalls.
Local highway department officials confirm they are always performing equipment maintenance. Still, they are early this year preparing to remove winter snowfall and ice on almost 700 miles of county roads.
According to WTWO-TV Chief Meteorologist Jesse Walker, that might be a good plan.
“I admire the people who have to work outside in the winter,” said Walker, who admits he doesn’t like the cold. “But I think, overall, there will be more 'warm' days than cold days this winter.”
Walker’s “Walker’s Winter Outlook 2020-2021” advises this winter will be an active one. Still, the first measurable snow (2” or above) will not happen until after December 12. That doesn’t mean it will be a white Christmas, which means at least 1” of snow on the ground Christmas morning.
Walker projects big temperature extremes amid the windy winter days ahead, with some peaks swinging from highest to the lowest at least 60 degrees, more subzero days than last year, and at least two record or near-high temperature events.
The 35-year veteran meteorologist believes there will be a high risk for ice this winter, a couple of substantial to severe thunderstorm outbreaks, and possibly even a winter tornado.
Overall, Walker said there would be a little less snow than average, with a forecast that includes the coldest part of winter in mid to late December to mid-January.
A delay in the wintery blast would be welcome, but the highway department has a building full of salt/sand/calcium mixture at the garage facility located at 409 N. S.R. 59 and a game plan in place.
Drivers know to arrive early the evening before a potential winter storm’s projected arrival, in case intersections and other trouble areas along the roads need to be pretreated. Otherwise, as snowflakes flittered down recently and temperatures dropped, the highway department’s drivers know it’s a waiting game before they attack the falling snow with snowplows, graders, and the sand/salt mixture. The crew knows they will be out there - no matter when winter arrives or how long it takes to clear away the snow and ice - until the roads are safe.
Read more about Walker’s Winter Outlook 2020-2021 at https://www.mywabashvalley.com/.