GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – It’s often said that no two snowflakes are alike and that apparently holds true for winter storms, as well.
Green Bay Public Works is adjusting their strategy this go-around to combat heavy snowfall that started Monday night and is continuing to fall Tuesday.
Chris Pirlot, operations director with the department, says their game plan constantly changes depending on the amount of snow, the type of snow, the factor of ice, and a number of other variables.
For them, the number one goal is to typically keep heavily trafficked roads clear, while eventually working out to residential streets.
In a case such as this, where snow totals could reach a foot locally, some audibles are called by the department.
“Because of the amount of snow, we have to do something on the residentials before we go back and clean everything up completely,” explains Pirlot. “Because otherwise, people could get stuck.”
For those that closely monitor the plowing of their neighborhood roads, they’ll note that this comes in contrast to the department’s usual strategy during a “normal” winter storm.
“Probably we would not do anything on the residential streets until the snow is done,” he explains. “Because three inches [or] four inches people can muddle their way through.”
While plows will be coming through neighborhoods more frequently and at different times than in the past, that doesn’t mean that they will be performing their normal plow.
Public Works will be initially performing a “rough plow,” which constitutes an effort to make residential roads passable before they can allocate the effort necessary to move things around enough to get roads into great condition.
They also warn residents to not be alarmed if it looks like the plows have already come thru, but the streets aren’t done to their typical standard.
Pirlot says, they’ll be back.
“They’re going to drive down their residential street and think, ‘Well the city didn’t plow back to the curbs like they normally do,’ and that is true,” he says. “We wanted to do the rough plow, get them home, and we’ll be back.”
This adjusted game plan is being implemented so first and foremost people can get home safely.
“We’d rather have them get stuck in their garage than the middle of the street,” explains Pirlot.
The department will make continuous rounds during the storm to keep streets passable, but will return afterward to start the effort of getting roads back into good shape.
“Once it stops snowing then we will plow all roads in the city, including the ulterior [roads], we’ll do those again, and then we’ll go into the residential [roads] and clear those again.
