Snow removal companies in the Butler and South Shore areas have prepared all week for the predicted snowfall from Sunday night into Monday.
Myron Dorshak, co-owner of Dorshak Tree Specialists in Butler, said the rainy weekend is creating an unusual and dangerous problem for road crews heading into the storm.
Watch: How crews in Butler and South Shore are preparing to clear roads as snow intensifies Sunday night into Monday.
"I mean we don't know what's going to happen tonight," Dorshak said.
Dorshak said the rain has prevented crews from pre-treating roads with brine or salt—a standard step that helps reduce ice buildup before a storm arrives.
"People don't realize that the freeways aren't pre-salted this time because of the rain," Dorshak said.
Normally, road crews apply brine or salt ahead of snowfall to make surfaces safer.
"That's the frustrating part. Normally, we'll put brine down. Or we'll put salt down to make it safer but with the rain that will just wash it away," Dorshak said.
That means drivers and pedestrians could encounter an extra layer of ice hidden beneath the snow.
"And the temperatures are starting to drop so it could very slippery and dangerous," Dorshak said.
Dorshak said his crew spent the week preparing for the storm.
"We were prepping all week. So, we had all our plows on, all the salt trucks are ready to go, We got a big salt dome and all our trucks are filled," Dorshak said.
In the South Shore area, Nate and Kay's Snow Removal Services is also gearing up for a busy night and morning. Co-owner Kay Bunting said the team is making last-minute supply runs to make sure they have enough material to handle the ice.
"He's on his way to Menards to pick up some we ordered and he's gonna see if Speedway has any extras just in case because we know that ice is gonna be awful," Bunting said.
Bunting said her top priority is keeping people safe as they step outside Monday morning.
"The main concern in March is making sure people aren't falling and getting hurt," Bunting said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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