City of Columbia plow crews to report at 3 a.m. on Jan. 15 to respond to winter weather

(COLUMBIA, MO) - A 16-person City of Columbia Public Works plow crew will report for duty at 3 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 15 in anticipation of the arrival of winter weather.

Forecasts indicate that early Saturday morning, rainfall will begin to change to snow. When this occurs, crews will begin to apply treatment to first and second priority routes. Once falling snow begins to accumulate, plow crews will focus on plowing first and second priority roads into a passable state.

Pavement temperatures could potentially reach the freezing point Saturday morning, bringing with it the increased potential for slickness. To respond to these and other concerns throughout the day, a full 27-person plow crew will report for duty Saturday at 7 a.m.

Overall snowfall accumulation totals could potentially reach two inches or greater, at which point an announcement may be made that parking is prohibited on Columbia's first and second priority roads. Please look for road signs that designate streets as snow routes or visit CoMoSnow.com, where you can find a listing of priority roads. To be notified when an announcement is made prohibiting parking on priority roads, residents can sign up for text alerts by texting their zip code to 888-777. You can also follow Public Works on social media or check the press releases section of CoMo.gov.

Public Works and City staff will continue to closely monitor road conditions and adjust operational plans as needed. As winter weather can be unpredictable, residents are encouraged to closely monitor the forecast and changing road conditions throughout the mid-Missouri area.

Residents are also reminded to remove snow from sidewalks adjacent to the property they own or rent.

We sincerely appreciate the cooperation of the community as Public Works strives to provide the best winter weather response to our residents as possible.