GALESBURG, Ill — Heavy snow is expected overnight Feb. 1 into Wednesday morning in areas south of the Quad Cities.
Galesburg is sitting right on the line of where the heavier snow is expected. The city could see as many as six inches.
The city is under a snow emergency beginning at 11 p.m. on Tuesday night.
Galesburg Transportation has suspended both fixed and paratransit service for Wednesday.
Galesburg Public Works hasn’t had to bring the plows out too much this winter season, according to City Engineer Aaron Gavin.
“It’s been a pretty slow year, which is fine with us,” Gavin said.
As of 10 p.m. Tuesday night, it hadn’t started snowing yet in Galesburg, but the plows were ready to go. Public Works spent the day mixing salt and were planning to start salting the roads once they got slick.
Gavin said it can make it easier for the plows when the majority of the snow falls overnight because then less people have driven on it and packed it down, but it also means a long night for crews.
“We’re having to work some long hours and trying to make sure that we don’t work anybody too long and making sure we’re staggering some of those shifts to make sure that we’re being safe when we’re out there,” he said.
Each year, the city budgets for around 2,500 tons of salt.