RACINE COUNTY, Wis. — Some public works crews began pre-treating roads while temperatures were in the 70s Tuesday ahead of a drastic change in weather overnight.
"A lot of folks are going to be wondering what are they doing right now. These guys are crazy but no, it's there's a method to the madness," said Racine County's public works director Roley Behm.
Meteorologists say a cold front will lead temperatures to plummet overnight. Rain is expected to turn into snow showers creating icy conditions by the morning.
Behm explained that the rain is the most challenging part because it can wash away the brine, but it still helps by doing its job and buying time before crews add salt to the streets.
"It's never a waste because we're always trying to take the best measure as possible and people's lives are on the line so it's never a waste," Behm stated.
Racine County's public works team covers about a thousand miles of state and county roads. They plan to start with two workers at night to monitor road conditions before calling more crews in.
The sheriff's office also keeps public works updated.
"Weather conditions I'm always paying attention because I like to know what I'm driving into," said semi-truck driver Cass Woods.
Woods has been driving semi-trucks for 20 years mostly at night. While hauling up to 8,000 pounds he takes safety seriously.
"Just a little bit of wetness, and the tires can slide and with the weight, we're sliding pretty far before we stop," Woods added. "Just keep your distance and make sure we're all safe and we should get to where we got to go."
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