SnOMG’26 part two? Town preps for another winter storm

By Jon Show – Those white lines on roads this morning aren’t remnants of last week’s storm preparation. Cornelius Public Works is treating roads this week ahead of a potential snowstorm forecast for the weekend.

The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook stating that wintry precipitation is expected to develop Friday night into Saturday.

“Significant accumulations of snow are possible across much of the area, with impacts to travel being the primary concern,” the outlook states.

Storm preparation and road clearing in Cornelius were not always as efficient as they are today.

The town now owns seven snow plows and four salt spreaders, up from just two plows and one spreader 15 years ago. Previously, only main roads were plowed, but the additional equipment allows crews to clear neighborhood streets as well. Two plows focus on main thoroughfares, while the remaining five are assigned to neighborhoods.

The town also has a tractor to clear access at fire stations, the police department and Town Hall to help expedite calls for service.

Seven years ago, Cornelius began sharing brine tanks with Davidson and Huntersville. Before that, the town purchased brine from a North Carolina Department of Transportation facility near Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The new arrangement allows crews to apply brine after storms, which helped speed the clearing of main roads following last weekend’s ice storm.

“We are able to tackle these storms much better now by having so much more equipment,” said Assistant Town Manager Tyler Beardsley, who coordinates storm response efforts for the Public Works Department.