CAPTION: Hutchinson City Hall on Feb. 18, 2025. CREDIT CITY OF HUTCHINSON
By Kate Irelan
According to KWCH News, Hutchinson snowfall amounts on Feb. 18 totaled about 7 inches at 4:00 p.m. and snow was still falling.
Jake Matz, Street Supervisor for the City of Hutchinson, said that they’ve been monitoring the snowstorm and the snow removal has gone well to the degree that it can with the snow blowing like it is. They’ve been pushing as much snow as possible to maintain a driving lane so that people can somewhat get around in case of an emergency.
“With this storm, it’s more about maintaining the road and creating a driving lane,” said Matz. “Our new plans of approach are doing well, and we’ve been pushing as much snow as possible. We have been working through the night and into the day downtown, moving snow from the street and parking spaces with the small trucks. Now we are moving into residential areas.”
Matz says residents should stay off the roads as much as they can.
“We understand that not everyone gets off work because of the snow,” Matz said. “We are working hard to maintain the roads and keep a driving lane open. Currently, it is very hard for drivers to keep from getting stuck. There is not a lot we can do to keep roads passable, especially with the snow still coming down. We are trying to do as much as we can do.”
“We are hoping the snow ends around 6:00 p.m. but there is a chance it could continue to fall in the night. We hope that doesn’t happen. We are running trucks around the clock with plows. We will continue to push off as much snow as we can. When the snow stops, and we’ve moved as much snow as possible, then maybe we will salt the roads.”
Matz said, “When the temperature is much under 15 degrees, salt loses its effectiveness. A lot of what we do in winter storms is reactionary. If a sunny day is predicted and temperatures are higher, we can put salt down. We are looking for when the snow stops if we can shift to clearing the road and keeping it clear. We adjust as needed in the moment to keep things as safe as possible.”
“What we are doing differently this year is addressing residential roads. Each run of residential roads takes 14 to 18 hours, and it takes a lot of time, but we do think it helps to get people to the main roads. We are trying new blades and tactics and hoping we are met with a good response.”
Matz said that not much has changed with the plan of using large trucks and arterial routes.
“Sometimes finding which tactic works best. With the last storm, we had with ice before the snow, salt worked best. For this storm, using salt could create an ice pack underneath the snow. We are trying to nail down the best tactics for the storm we have. In addition, there is residual salt left on the roads from the previous storm.”
“The city workers are excited about the progress they make with this new plan. “They have high morale, and are happy to come in and fight this storm for their city,” said Matz.
If you have questions or concerns for the City of Hutchinson streets, call 620-694-1900.
Ivan Huston / February 19, 2025
Really great job Jake…. We need help on Brookwood Dr.
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