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The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for most of Southeast Texas, including Harris and surrounding counties. Precipitation will quickly turn freezing temperatures into sleet overnight. The potential for drastic weather change mobilized crews from the city, county and state:
“These kind of scenarios that occur with the weather are a chance for our guys to shine.”
Alvin Wright with Houston Public Works says trucks loaded with chat rock are now preparing bridges and overpasses that the city maintains.
“The chat rock is designed basically to lie on top of the ice to provide traction for those vehicles. Once the ice has melted, once the weather gets back to normal temperatures, we go back out, and we actually pull that rock off the roadways. Because what we don’t to see happen is that this rock winds up on someone’s windshield, and cause other damage later on.”
He says Public Works crews are on stand-by to respond to any weather-related roadway issues.
“We’re going to have high winds as well too — that’s going to affect traffic signals — that’s Public Works. It’s going to affect the roadways — that’s Public Works. It’s going to affect the bridges — that’s Public Works. So our guys are prepared and ready to take on the task of making sure that the citizens of Houston, have access to the roadways the way they need to.”
While the treatment will help keep the roadways from becoming hazardous, motorists are advised to use caution when driving late tonight and early tomorrow. With temperatures expected to climb to above freezing in the afternoon, ice should not be an issue after that.