KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A couple of factors made driving on Sunday and Monday particularly difficult in the Kalamazoo area — rain followed by snow.
The combination created challenging conditions for city crews working to clear roads and manage drainage issues throughout the winter storm.
"It has been interesting," said Dennis Randolph, Kalamazoo's Public Works Manager.
City roads showed significant snow accumulation before noon Monday, but crews made noticeable progress by afternoon as conditions improved.
"The salt is just starting to work now," Randolph said.
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What complicated this winter storm was the rain storm that occurred just before the snow arrived. Pre-treating roads wasn't an option due to the wet conditions.
Storm drains being clogged also didn't help the situation. Earlier December snowfall prevented crews from completing their regular leaf pickup schedule.
"Because of the snow earlier in December, we weren't able to get all of our leaf pickup done. It ends up blocking the flow to our catch basins," Randolph said.
"It makes a mess. Which is what folks see," he said.
The challenging weather conditions appear to be over, at least for now. City crews continue monitoring road conditions and drainage systems as they work to maintain safe travel conditions.
"We can't change the weather, we can only respond to the weather," Randolph said.
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