Crews are pretreating city gateways with brine in anticipation of freezing rain expected Thursday morning

BALTIMORE, MD (December 14, 2022) – Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott and Baltimore City Department of Transportation Interim Director Corren Johnson announced that the city is fully prepared for the first winter storm of the season.  Freezing rain is expected early Thursday in Baltimore, which could produce icy conditions during the morning commute. 

“As the city gears up for the first winter storm of the season, we have worked very hard to ensure that we are ready to deliver prompt and efficient service to the residents of Baltimore,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott.   “We encourage residents to avoid or delay travel on Thursday morning if possible so that crews can safely and effectively treat city streets.”

The Baltimore City Snow Team has been readying snow equipment and will be pre-treating city gateways/primary roadways today with salt brine in preparation for the storm.  City snow crews will activate at 12:00 a.m. on Thursday, December 15 to monitor weather and roadway conditions.  With more than 15,000 tons of salt on hand and nearly 300 pieces of equipment, the city is fully prepared for efficient storm operations.

Residents are encouraged to plan ahead and be prepared for inclement weather if traveling tomorrow morning.  Conditions can change rapidly and winter precipitation can cause roadways to become slick, especially on bridges, ramps and overpasses, which freeze more quickly than regular roadways.  Motorists are strongly advised to drive at reduced speeds, plan additional travel time and allow extra following distance between vehicles for everyone’s safety.  During the storm, motorists are reminded not to “crowd the plow” by staying behind working snow vehicles and leaving them plenty of space to operate. 

For updated weather forecasts and traffic conditions, residents should tune into local news stations, check media resources and visit the city’s snow page at snow.baltimorecity.gov. 

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