Pittsburgh’s snow plow drivers are working extended 12 hour shifts to clear the 1-3 inches of snow expected to fall Wednesday afternoon.
“Their typical shift ends this afternoon, but their shift has been extended... ‘snow fighting mode’ as we like to call it,” said City spokeswoman Katie O’Malley.
All of the city’s 70 trucks are out treating the streets.
O’Malley said the city has plenty of salt and is using a calcium chloride blend to help the salt work in the single digit temperatures forecast overnight.
“We were fortunate that we did not really need to tap into [the salt stores] until January, which is a little unusual for Pittsburgh for sure,” she said. “We have no concerns about running out of salt. We definitely have plenty of material.”
The city is in a level 2 snow alert, meaning there is an anticipated forecast of between 3-6 inches of snow, according to O’Malley.
She said the city expects to have all of the streets treated between 16 and 32 hours after the snow stops falling. Residents are encouraged to contact the city’s 3-1-1 Response Center to report an untreated street after 32 hours.
