Lawrence could get 5 inches of snow this weekend, National Weather Service says

Lawrence’s public works department is preparing for as much as 5 inches of snow this weekend.

Mark Thiel, assistant public works director, said crews began their snow-preparation work on the roads as early as Thursday. Before any plowing is needed, the department spreads a special mixture on roadways to help the upcoming snow melt.

“We put our liquid brine out on the roadways, which helps with the bond breaker between the pavement and the snow,” Thiel said. “This way we can treat roadways from the road up and from the snow down.”

The National Weather Service in Topeka issued a winter weather advisory for the region beginning at 7 a.m. Saturday through noon Sunday.

An update Saturday morning said snow amounts are a little lower than first predicted, and Lawrence can expect 2 to 5 inches of snow instead of the original forecast of 3 to 6 inches.

Thiel said the city’s 40-man snow crew will split into two teams of 20 and work in 12-hour shifts beginning at 7:30 a.m. Saturday.

With a prepared team and pre-treated roads, Thiel said, he’s confident they’ll be able to handle the wintry weather.

“As soon as it starts snowing, we’ll get out there,” he said. “And the pre-treating usually saves us between 24 and 36 hours of clean-up time. It starts melting the snow from below.”

Meteorologist Kyle Poage said the snow should come down in a steady fashion, rather than dropping an inch or two in an hour. The constant snowfall should make the roads more manageable for emergency crews, he said.

While Thiel said clearing the roads this weekend is a task his team is up for, city officials anticipate a decline in yard work.

Citing recent cold weather and future forecasts, the city’s solid waste division will not collect yard waste on Monday. The regular collection service will start back up March 9.