The Wright County Highway Department is warning those who will be traveling in the next few days that the pending storm is going to be a nasty four-day event at the height of the holiday travel season.
Highway Department Maintenance Superintendent Nate Helgeson said that the forecast models are all over the board, predicting between four and 12 inches of snow today into tomorrow. He said the biggest danger will be wind chills Friday into Saturday, with sustained winds of 20-30 miles per hour gusting as high as 50 mph.
Helgeson said the cold will make it virtually impossible to treat roads because the standard chemicals don’t work at temperatures below zero. He said because there is so little moisture in the snow, for the most part, it will blow off roadways on its own if there isn’t drifting.
He added that crews will be out laying premium chemicals at turns in the road and intersections where black ice can form from dripping exhaust. The Highway Department will provide an update to the conditions later today or tomorrow morning as needed.