City transportation crews will begin spraying bridge decks to keep them from freezing overnight during this cold snap.
Crews from the Tucson Department of Transportation and Mobility Streets Maintenance Division initiated Operation Freeze on Tuesday in preparation of freezing temperatures forecasted for the next couple nights. Operation Freeze is a safety initiative put into place to make sure city bridge decks are free of ice and safe for motorists to drive over.
As part of the effort crews will place “Wet Road Ahead” signs at bridge entrances and spray magnesium chloride on the bridge decks. Magnesium chloride lowers the freezing temperature of water and prevents ice from forming on a roadway. A light coating of magnesium chloride produces no negative effects on ground water, surface water or vegetation. Magnesium chloride is an effective ice suppressant agent lasting for approximately 10 days. Rainfall diminishes its effectiveness.
About 50 city bridge decks will be sprayed and monitored throughout the evening and into the early morning hours to make sure ice has not formed at the crossings. Motorists should be aware of crews working around the bridge deck crossings and drive with caution when the possibility of ice exists on the roadways.
The National Weather Service is calling for a hard freeze warning overnight into Wednesday morning and again into Thursday morning for much of the Tucson area. The service says people should protect frost-sensitive plants, wrap or drain outdoor pipes and provide shelter to pets during the overnight hours. The warning will be in place from late Tuesday until 9 a.m. Wednesday, then again late Wednesday until 9 a.m. Thursday.
Lows could drop into the upper 20s both nights.
The city says overflow shelter beds are available until further notice because of the frigid temperatures expected the rest of this week. Homeless persons can go to the Salvation Army Hospitality House, 1002 N. Main Ave., to get out of the cold. Intake is done from 2 to 5 p.m., dinner is from 5-6 p.m.
Mt. Lemmon got about 11 inches of snow overnight at the General Store in Summerhaven, according to the National Weather Service. This time lapse shows the snowfall and the clearing of the roads. Cold temperatures are expected the next few nights and a freeze watch has been issued for much of Southern Arizona. Video courtesy of SouthernArizonaTimelapses.
