Don’t like the weather? Wait 10 min
City crews go from big dump to quick thaw, ready to deal with whatever comes their way
The recent dumping of snow had city crews scrambling to keep roads clear, and now expected warmer temperatures this week have them alert to the potential for flooding.
“I think Environment Canada said 15 cm over the weekend,” said Craig Maunder, operations engineer municipal works City of Medicine Hat. “We were out all weekend.”
On Friday, crews were out dealing with snow accumulation until midnight. Saturday and Sunday crews started at 4 a.m. until about 2 p.m. and they were then at it again Monday morning, said Maunder.
As snow and ice melt this week there is the potential for water to pool on the roads, at blocked drains and near catch basins, said Maunder.
Ice accumulation in drains will melt much more slowly than on the surface. In some cases it takes a vac-truck to deliver blasts of steam to clear a blockage, said Maunder. Sometimes snow on the surface also has to be removed. Pipes near catch-basins could be frozen and in some cases leaves from the fall may be in the ice exacerbating blockages.
For municipal works, experience is often enough to figure out where water issues are likely to be and they can then be proactive.
“They often know where to go before we even get a call in,” said Maunder.
In other cases it is the public that call in with reports of water not draining away. If anyone observes water accumulating rather than draining away they are asked to notify the city by calling 403-529-8177 or go onto the city’s website to make a report, said Maunder.
It may feel as though we have had a record snowfall this winter but that is because we had a couple winters with very little snow, said Maunder.
“This (winter) isn’t out of the ordinary. This is a pretty typical experience,” said Maunder. “We had a nice couple of years and I guess some of us have forgotten.”
The city’s snow-clearing budget is on target.
“We have a $1.6 million budget for snow and ice control for a whole year,” said Maunder. “This is the front half of the year (budget year) and hopefully this is one of the last big dumps that we get.”
There were five motor vehicle accidents over the weekend, according Medicine Hat Police Service’s website.
Environment Canada’s long-range forecast predicts a high of 11 C on Wednesday, 6 C on Thursday and 9 C on Friday. At night the temperature is expected to dip into the freezing zone. Snow melting during the day and freezing at night will make for slick roads and challenging driving conditions.
MHPS traffic unit has been advising all winter of the importance of allowing enough time to reach your destination when road conditions demand a slower pace. Allow plenty of room between your vehicle and others because you will not be able to stop as quickly on a slippery road.