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Snowplow companies gear up for weekend weather in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – For the second weekend in a row, private snow removal companies are gearing up for what they are calling a potentially dangerous weekend out on the roads.

Crews were preparing equipment at the Circle City Snow and Ice Management garage Friday afternoon ahead of the storm. 

“We’ve run through all our plows this week mechanically and making sure they are all up and working great,” said snow manager, Daniel Barry.

Barry said Circle City Snow and Ice Management’s fleet of 20 combination salt-and-plow trucks will hit the roads this weekend to treat more than 300 properties.

Crews with the company will stay on the roads for the next 20-30 hours.

On top of plowing, Barry says the company will spread salt and, for the first time, will use brine on streets and sidewalks.

The private snow removal company is taking the storm so seriously that they bought two new miniature snow plows to help with demand. 

But Barry said his crews face two big problems.

“I think the wind is going to be a huge battle for us, because as soon as we clear a property, we’re going to have to go back. The drifts could be bad — 35 mph winds,” said Barry. 

Salt also stops working around 10 degrees. 

“Temperatures are going to go below zero. So I have a feeling a lot of things are going to be frozen over. I think it’s going to be hard for the salt to activate with the temps going below zero. Which I think is going to be a problem for us. I think this is going to be our worst storm we’ve had because three years ago we had a 55-inch winter. Fifty-five inches of snow here. That winter was real relentless. So this is by far going to be our worst storm in two years,” said Barry.

If you have to head out on the roads this weekend, you can keep track in real time where snowplows have been, and how long ago they have plowed roads with the Indy Snow Force Viewer.