Hardin County ramps up precipitation preparation

Those who abide by the The Old Farmer’s Almanac saw today’s snowstorm coming months ago.
The almanac predicted a snowstorm for the week of Jan. 15-21 with temperatures to follow in the low 20s.
Hardin Countians today are bracing for what could be the largest snowfall of the season with anywhere from 1-6 inches of snow expected, although meteorologists expect higher snowfalls in the northern end of the county as well as north of Hardin County.
“We’re probably going to be looking at 1 to 3 inches,’’ Fort Knox Weather Station meteorologist Greg Strobel said. “Areas north of us are looking at 3 to 6 inches. We’re right on the edge here of the weather system.’’
Strobel said even the slightest movement in the system out of the Canadian prairie provinces could change the local snowfall.
“The more it goes south, the more we could get,’’ he said. Strobel said the system has held a steady pattern and extends from our area all the way into Michigan and Canada.
A winter storm watch is in effect through tonight for Hardin County.
Hardin County’s annual January snowfall average is 5.5 inches. Strobel said so far the county has received about 2.25 inches of snow.
“This is a large system,’’ he said.
The largest amount of snowfall at the Fort Knox Weather Station for a calendar day has been about an inch on Dec. 4.
Temperatures will stay below freezing until at least Monday, Strobel said, so the snowfall won’t be of the fall-and-melt variety.
He said the area will see lows in the low teens on Saturday, for example, and temperatures will get no higher than 30 degrees through early next week.
That could make for some tricky road conditions today and the next several days.
Hardin County road supervisor Ronnie Goodman said his department spent Wednesday preparing for the potential storm.
“We have spent time today fixing a new kind of brine that we’re going to try out,’’ Goodman said Wednesday. He said because the roads remained wet, spreading the brine now would have little impact.
Goodman said his department spent much of Wednesday getting vehicles ready — from checking lights to making sure they were properly fueled.
Also, about 100 tons of salt was delivered to help offset what has been a harsh winter so far.
Hardin County crews cover about 570 miles of road when a storm hits.
“We’ll work in two 10-hour shifts,’’ he said. “It all depends on when it hits and how much we get.’’
Jeff D’Alessio can be reached at (270) 505-1757 or jdalessio@thenewsenterprise.com.

Neal Cardin

Hardin County Road Department Supervisor Ronnie Goodman, right, and Scott Reed take a hydrometer reading of a ice prevention brine solution Wednesday morning in preparation for a winter storm. The solution, made in house, shows a reading of 23.3 giving it a freezing point of minus 6 degrees.

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Neal Cardin

Hardin County Road Department mechanic Bill Dawson works on the hydraulic system of a truck mounted blade Wednesday.

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Neal Cardin

Hardin County Road Department employee Scott Reed, left, hands a filler hose to Rob Sisco to fill a brine tank Wednesday morning as crews prepare equipment before inclement weather moves into the area.

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