Snow Chance

Story by Hal Goodtree | January 29, 2010 | Tags: cary, nc, Snow, tips, weather

Cary, NC – Once again, the chance we might get some actual winter weather has Cary abuzz.

LATEST NOAA FORECAST

As of 8 AM, Cary was projected to be on the line between snow and freezing rain. Could go either way – it’s heavy snow to the north and stinging shards of ice to the south.

TIPS FROM A YANKEE

If it does snow, here are some tips you may not have heard elsewhere:

• Borrow a snow shovel from your Yankee neighbors. You know they have one.
• Clear off your car when the sun is shining on it. Don’t bother while it’s still snowing.
• Fill the bed of your truck with snow. It weights down the back wheels and melts away when you don’t need it anymore.
• Lift with your legs. Snow can be heavy and plenty of guys are sure to blow out their backs if the white stuff falls.

THE TRUTH ABOUT DE-ICING YOUR SIDEWALK

I followed a discussion between some native friends last night on Facebook. Kitty litter was suggested as useful substance to sprinkle on the sidewalk for traction.

First of all, it confuses the cats leading to an unsightly mess we cannot name in a family newspaper. Secondly, when the snow melts, your yard is full of kitty litter, further confusing the cats.

Salt was also mentioned as a possible sidewalk clearing agent. It’s true that salt lowers the freezing temperature of water, melting the ice. But I can’t recommend it because it runs off into the garden and makes the soil salty. Not good for the plants.

My favorite sidewalk emollient is sand. It adds traction and washes off harmlessly into the garden. It doesn’t confuse the cats.

THE TOWN A-TEAM

The town of Cary’s A-Team has already swung into action:

With weather forecasters calling for the possibility of a snowy weekend, the Town of Cary’s A-Team is fully prepared should wintry weather affect the Cary community. Roads and bridges are being brined today through Friday; plows and spreaders are fully equipped and loaded; and Snow Command will be fully operational at 5 p.m. on Friday unless changing conditions warrant different action.

“We are continuously monitoring the weather to respond as conditions change,” said Town of Cary Public Works Director Scott Hecht.  “Our focus is to do everything we can to help ensure that our citizens can enjoy the snow if it falls, not be negatively impacted by it.”

The Town’s 180 A-Team Snow Fighters have over 2,000 tons of sand/salt mix on hand along with an additional 600 tons of pure salt. Also, the Town has 56 pieces of snow-fighting equipment available to clear Cary’s 470 miles of roads, about 118 miles of which are state-maintained roads.

- Town of Cary

So there you have it. Best advice: stay home, build a snow man, drink hot chocolate. Temperatures will rise into the upper 40s by Tuesday. Schools couldn’t be closed for more than a week.