GREEN BAY (NBC26) — The bitter cold is adding extra challenges for the city of Green Bay as crews work to clean up the aftermath left behind from Thursday's winter storm.
People might notice not all residential roads in Green Bay are clear yet: Ice and snow are packed onto the pavement of many area streets.
Steve Grenier, public works director for the city of Green Bay, said it could be several more days before residential areas are fully clear due to the extremely low temperatures expected this weekend into next week.
"Once that stuff starts to freeze to the road - we start getting down below 10 degrees, 15 degrees -even salt doesn't matter anymore," Grenier said. "Nothing is going to melt the ice."
Grenier said the wet, heavy snow from Friday adhered to the pavement, making it nearly impossible for conventional plow trucks to cut through the compacted snow.
Crews with the Green Bay Department of Public Works spent Friday putting down sand and snow salt on the city's main roads.
Once plowing is finished, Grenier said crews will put sand down on residential roads.
"Sand is not going to do a thing to melt that accumulated ice and snow pack off, but it will help provide some traction that'll help us get through until weather cooperates with us a little bit more," Grenier said.
When the weather warms back up, Grenier said the department will send loaders and graders out to the residential areas to scrape the snow and ice off the streets for a full post-storm cleanup.
He said the city currently has a steady salt and sand supply.
With 19 spreader trucks for 50 routes, the Department of Public Works asks people to be patient as crews work to remove snow and ice from all streets.
