Clarksville, TN – The Clarksville Street Department is ready for whatever snow a late-week winter storm might bring to the city.
Snow totals for Thursday evening, as predicted by the National Weather Service, could range anywhere from 1-3 inches in Clarksville, but the precipitation forecast is ever-fluctuating.
After an expected daytime high temperature of 50 degrees under rainy skies on Thursday, NWS says actual overnight low temperatures will plummet into bitterly-cold single digits on Thursday, Friday, and Christmas Eve Saturday, before beginning a gradual rebound on Christmas Day.
Wind chills factored into the late-week frigid air heading into the Christmas holiday weekend will make it feel like well-below zero outside, during nighttime hours.
“Our employee family is dedicated to keeping our citizens safe, regardless of the weather,” said Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts. “Please be mindful of the trucks and heavy equipment when you are out and about, but if you don’t have to get out, please stay home and stay safe.”
Dr. Ihab Habib, director of the Clarksville Street Department, said crews are getting ahead of the weather and treating the city’s approximately 1,380 lane miles of city streets.
All trucks devoted to the effort had been well-maintained and inspected leading up to this week, Habib said, and all salt boxes and snow plows were swiftly installed on trucks and parked in their designated areas as the forecast began to look promising for some wintry precipitation.
“All managers and essential employees are available, and ready to stay overnight and as needed. All hands are on deck to monitor the weather,” he said, “to clear the roads for the safety of our citizens.”
The City of Clarksville is divided into three zone routes for street treatment during wintry weather. Truck drivers are assigned to specific routes.
All major city streets are cleared first under normal protocols. Separately, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is responsible for clearing state highways and roads in the city limits.
Secondly, the Clarksville Street Department focuses on clearing main routes and hills that can be particularly difficult to navigate in snow and ice, and lastly, crews clear all city secondary roads.
Three salt sheds are used: Glen Ellen, with a capacity of 6,500 tons of salt; Franklin Street, with 5,500 tons; and Ringgold Road, with a capacity of 250 tons.
The city has 50 employees devoted to clearing city streets, using 30 saltbox trucks; 24 12-ton salt trucks, and six, 4-ton trucks.
For information or to report a problem, call the Clarksville Street Department at 931.645.7464 during regular business hours, and 931.624.1208 for emergencies.
