Sure, Chuck Soules and the city’s Public Works Department have a plan if ice and snow pelt the area this week as forecasters expect.

They’ve serviced the salt trucks and trained the handful of new workers on which streets to clean first.

But for now he’s sticking to one specific plan of action.

“We’re praying,” Soules said.

Street-cleaning crews were planning to be up and on notice at 4 a.m. today, ready to begin salting and sanding roads if nasty weather heads for Lawrence.

According to the National Weather Service, rain this morning should turn into freezing drizzle in the afternoon, followed by even heavier frozen rain before midnight.

All this comes after days of relatively mild weather, including play-in-the-park temperatures Tuesday.

Welcome to Kansas.

Soules said city staff went through a full practice run on Nov. 7, finding out where all of the snow routes are and where new streets or new pavement have popped up since last winter.

The new pavement – along stretches of Kasold Drive, for example – needs some added attention because of the fairly delicate concrete, Soules said.

Too much salt could damage the new streets, he said.

“We’ve talked about that, about getting to it earlier rather than later so we don’t put a lot of salt on it,” Soules said.

Typically, the city uses a salt and sand mix to cut through layers of snow and slush. Major thoroughfares such as 23rd Street, Bob Billings Parkway and Wakarusa Drive are treated first.

The city also focuses on streets near schools, such as 19th Street and Louisiana Street.

But forecasts here call for more ice than snow. If that’s the case, city officials said, everything changes.

“Ice,” Soules said, “is terrible.”

First, street crews have to use more salt than sand to avoid poor conditions on downhill routes, he said.

Plus, pretreating rarely works, said Tom Orzulak, street maintenance manager for the city, because heavy rain typically will wash salt from the roads before the wet stuff ever freezes.

“You’re just wasting your time,” Orzulak said.

And with wild fluctuations in temperatures, he said, streets can stay warm for hours even after temperatures drop.

The National Weather Service predicts temperatures dropping to the mid-20s by 5 p.m. today, but the streets might keep rain as liquid long after that.

City ordinances leave sidewalk cleaning to property owners and residents, requiring walkways to be cleaned 24 hours after bad weather ends.

For many across town, cleaning sidewalks and avoiding a ticket can be a difficult process.

“Of course, it’s a huge challenge,” said Janet Good, former president of the East Lawrence Neighborhood Association.

In Good’s neighborhood, brick sidewalks sit cracked and half-buried. For some residents, it makes cleaning off ice and snow difficult.

Jim Hahn of the city's street maintenance division checks out one of the 10 snow trucks. Crews prepared Tuesday for the arrival of wintry weather today, when they likely will hit the streets to spread salt and sand. Today's forecast calls for freezing drizzle in the afternoon followed by heavier freezing rain tonight.

“How do you even shovel that?” Good asked.

Neighborhood leaders and the city ask that folks help their neighbors when they can – both to avoid tickets and keep their walkways safe.

“Hopefully, people can get out and help their neighbors,” Good said.

That is, if and when the rain turns to ice. Until then, maybe Soules has the right plan.

If roads get slick

¢ Avoid driving, when possible, especially on hills or side streets, according to Chuck Soules, director of the city’s Public Works Department.

¢ If you do drive, stick to priority snow and ice routes. For more information, go to www.ljworld.com for maps of city snow routes.

¢ For news on school closings, watch 6News at 10 p.m. today and beginning at 5:30 a.m. Thursday. The Lawrence school district also will announce school closings at 832-5000.

¢ Homeowners and residents have 24 hours after a storm ends to clean snow and ice from their sidewalks.