“It’s not a large amount of snowfall, but it’s more of the cold weather temperatures dropping and high winds,” said Linda LaCloche, the Director of Communications for the City of Naperville. “So that’s what’s concerning us. If you don’t have to work in the office tomorrow, work from home.”
A powerful winter storm is expected to hit the Naperville area Thursday afternoon. The City of Naperville’s Public Works Department is ready to tackle the challenge.
Snowplows and Naperville Fleet
“We have 22 large snow plows,” said the Director of Communications for the City of Naperville Linda LaCloche. “We also use some smaller pickup truck type vehicles that number between 50 and 75.”
According to the National Weather Service, visibility on the roads will be down Thursday due to strong winds and drifting snow. LaCloche encourages people that can work remotely to stay off the roads.
“We’re encouraging people if you don’t have to travel, stay in,” said LaCloche. “But if you do, drive slowly, cautiously and take your time. Don’t crowd the cars in front of you. Don’t crowd our plows. Just use your best judgment.”
Storm Information Available Online
The city has digital resources at its disposal to help keep Naperville citizens informed with updates about storm management, including the ability to track snow removal progress through the city’s online map.
“There are lots of ways that we get our community information out to the public,” said LaCloche. “We will launch Naper notify, which is our mass notification system. And we are going to keep our winter updates page updated throughout the duration of the storm.”
Be Kind and Say Thank You
Naperville Public Works staff will be working overtime to make sure citizens stay safe throughout inclement weather.
“When you’re working a 12-hour shift, it can get kind of lonely,” said LaCloche. “For our employees who are very dedicated to keeping our roads safe and serving our residents, those little things, a thank you, a wave, lift your spirits.”
Officials recommend checking the National Weather Service website for forecast updates.
“Please be patient with us,” said LaCloche. “You might not see us in your neighborhood at the exact moment you look out, but we are in full force.”
Naperville News 17’s Will Payne reports.
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