City of Naperville issued the following announcement on Jan. 18.
Naperville is under a Winter Storm Warning for heavy snow from 3 p.m. today, Jan. 18, to noon tomorrow, Jan. 19. Between 3 and 7 inches of snow is expected to fall, coupled with strong winds leading to blowing and drifting snow. There is also the possibility of lake effect snow for our area from 9 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19 through noon on Sunday, Jan. 20.
How We’re Responding
Naperville’s Department of Public Works mobilized its crews for around-the-clock operations starting at 10:30 a.m. today. The full fleet of 22 trucks will be salting and plowing roadways throughout the storm and after until all operations are complete. Crews begin plowing when 2” of snow has fallen.
Naperville uses a priority plowing system that focuses on plowing major roadways first, followed by residential streets. Cul-de-sacs, alleys, and dead-end streets are plowed after this, due to the difficulty in removing snow while minimizing the impact on driveways in these areas. Our contractors have been notified and are ready to assist with snow removals from cul-de-sacs towards the end of the storm.
What You Can Expect
Snowfall rates with this storm are expected to be very heavy, especially overnight from Friday to Saturday. More than 1” per hour could fall. Naperville’s goal is to remove snow and ice from roadways within 15 hours after snow stops falling. Heavier snows, like the one predicted this weekend, can take longer to address. We ask for your patience as our crews work nonstop to make our roadways passable.
Residents should expect roads to be slushy and partly snow covered throughout the weekend. In addition, temperatures are expected to sharply drop on Sunday, which reduces the effectiveness of road salt.
Driving Safety
- Extreme caution should be used while driving during this winter weather event. We encourage you to stay off the roads if possible.
- If you must drive, please be mindful around plows. Do not tailgate or stop too close, as plows make frequent stops and create clouds of snow, which can reduce driver visibility. You should keep at least four to five car lengths between you and a snow plow. Do not pass plows.
- To help crews remove snow more efficiently, please do not park on streets. Cars parked on streets create obstacles for plows and lead to snow and ice piles.
- When clearing your driveway, do not shovel snow into the street. This creates a hazard for drivers and pedestrians. Place it in your yard or the parkway.
- Please clear snow from around fire hydrants. A clear path to a hydrant makes it easily accessible for public safety crews in an emergency.
- Clear snow from around your outdoor vents. With blowing and drifting snow predicted, this helps keep you and your family safe.
- Check on elderly neighbors and those who may need help. Consider helping them shovel their driveways and sidewalks if you know they may need assistance.
- Plan to clear your sidewalks of snow and ice within 48 hours after snowfall ends. This is a City code requirement. It also keeps these paths clear for pedestrians and children walking to school.
- Do not drain your sump pump onto the street. Doing so creates icy hazards.
Updates on Naperville’s response to the storm will be provided through the following channels:
- Naper Notify
- Naperville’s Snow Blog
- Naperville’s Facebook account
- Naperville’s Twitter account
- Naperville’s eNews
Original source can be found here.
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