A big snowstorm may be headed to central Ohio. Here’s Columbus’ plan

A major winter storm is in the forecast for central Ohio from Sunday into Monday, but heavy snow and ice is something Columbus prepares for year-round, according to Scott Tourville, the city’s Division of Infrastructure Management administrator.

Tourville oversees all things road maintenance for the city of Columbus, including dealing with roads covered with ice and snow (which he said he loves).

The city’s dedicated “snow warriors,” or plow drivers, are ready for the anywhere from three to 10 inches of snow that forecasters had predicted heading into the weekend could get dropped on Columbus and central Ohio by Monday, Tourville said.

Due to the smaller snowstorm Thursday night into Friday morning, the city has already treated major roadways with anti-icing liquids.

How Columbus handles heavy snow

When four or more inches of snow falls, the city plows all 4,600-plus lane miles of Columbus roadways, Tourville said. It might just take longer for the plows to reach your street if you live on a quiet, residential road.

Columbus is prepared to have at least 55 of its about 70 dump trucks equipped with plows on the road at all times during the upcoming storm, Tourville said.

The city has about 130 operators ready to work rolling 12-hour shifts. Most personnel will drive plows, but some will load salt or perform related work to get plows ready.

This will also be the third winter that Columbus has used workers from other city departments to help. The city Department of Public Service has trained about 100 other city workers to use plow-equipped pickup trucks. But they can’t all be called up at once because many of their departments around the city can’t shut down, Tourville said.

Which streets are prioritized for plowing in Columbus?

The city prioritizes clearing arterial and high-traffic roads first. The Ohio Department of Transportation is responsible for most freeways in the city. Columbus maintains portions of U.S. 33 and State Routes 315, 104 and 161.

Roads around schools are also prioritized, Tourville said.

The city uses a three-level system to prioritize streets:

• Priority 1: arterial roadways that carry high traffic volumes and connect the city

• Priority 2: residential collector roadways that connect local residential roads to arterial roads

• Priority 3: residential roads or all other remaining roads

You can find out what priority your street is by visiting warriorwatch.columbus.gov.

If it snows for a long time, high-priority streets may get plowed more than once. If this storm is as bad as predicted, priority 1 streets may get plowed three or four times, Tourville said.

How to stay safe

Tourville offered some tips for motorists.

If you have to drive during a snowstorm, pay attention to the level one-two-three warnings from your county sheriff’s office, Tourville said. Drive safely, as always, and give yourself extra travel time.

And absolutely do not crowd the plow.

“When we are out there working, please give us space,” Tourville said. “These vehicles are 15 tons. They do not stop or turn on a dime. And visibility is restricted, especially when it’s snowing hard.”

jlaird@dispatch.com

@LairdWrites

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: How does Columbus pick where to plow? Inside snowstorm response