(Spirit Lake)– The 16 inches of snow that’s fallen on the area in the past week or so is starting to catch up with area road crews.
Dickinson County Engineer Dan Eckert says his department has called in additional plow operators to help take the load off. He says they’re temporary employees who had been off earlier this winter when there was no snow.
Eckert says they only have one piece of equipment that’s currently out of operation, otherwise he says things are looking good in that department.
Eckert says as of right now his snow removal budget is still in pretty good shape. But he says that will obviously change if the snow keeps up.
And more snow is in the forecast. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for the Iowa Great Lakes for tonight (Wed.) and Thursday for the possibility of six inches or more of snow. The wind is also expected to pick up on Friday.
Eckert reminds motorists the county has a priority system in place that determines which roads get plowed when. Under that system, paved roads get plowed first, followed by gravel roads that are school bus routes. Other roads follow that.
Roads that have no one living along them and that aren’t used for bus or mail routes don’t get plowed at all.
Motorists are being urged to use extra caution at intersections in both rural areas and towns. High piles of snow in some places are limiting visibility.
