Students join Logan in preparing for long winter months
Students don’t need to worry if Logan is winter-ready.
The manager of Logan City’s Street Department, Jed Al’Imari, said he is feeling really prepared about the upcoming winter season this year.
“I feel we are ready,” he said.
To prepare for the winter season right now, the city is clearing all the leaves from some local homes and street gutters that may plug drains in the future, Al’Imari said. If the gutters are not clean and free from leaves, they can cause a real problem for the city in the middle of the winter season. Clogged drains and gutters cause snow and ice buildup in the road, he said.
The Street Department prepares for the winter season all year round. From around the end of March until October is when the Logan Street Department puts a big push on getting sanders and plows ready for next winter season, he said.
“This year the city will spend roughly $50,000 on salt for the roads,” Al’Imari said.
From Nov. 15 to March 1, people will be ticketed for parking on the street.
“It is a hazard for our plows,” Al’Imari said.
The city does this to make sure the plows can clear and push away snow from the main roads. It really is for everyone’s safety, he said.
“When driving in the winter, it is important to always drive to the conditions,” Al’Imari said. “Driving slowly and cautious is a must.”
Many people don’t do this, although it is crucial for their safety, he said.
Whenever it is snowing, the plows hit the main and important roads first, and residential areas are done last, he said. This is something people should keep in mind when they decide what driving routes to take.
Some students seem to do their own things to prepare for the winter season.
Adam Tanner, an undeclared sophomore, said, “Stay tight with Dan Pope [the weather man from ABC news] and all will be well.”
Justin Ellingford, a sophomore studying journalism, said, “I bought a coat and crocheted a beanie with some new knickers.”
Jaclyn Hansen, a sophomore interior design student, has a positive outlook on the situation.
“Going to school in Logan during the winter months can be hard,” she said. “But, overall, I think the city and the campus are doing the best that they can to make the winter months better at Utah State.”
Besides driving to the conditions, Al’Imari said students need to plan extra time to get where they are going on snowy days. If it’s not absolutely necessary to go anywhere, he suggests staying at home. Making sure cars are checked and ready to go for winter is another good idea, he said.
-alwhite@cc.usu.edu