co. Springs says it will be too cold to treat icy roads: Expect slick conditions for days

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Officials in Colorado Springs say they are preparing for a wave of arctic air to descend on the Pikes Peak region in various ways, calling Friday “the heat before the storm.”

Most notably, the city says its plow crews won’t be pre-treating roads because of how cold it’s going to be until Tuesday. They say they don’t even bother deicing or melting those roads on the weekend, instead laying down materials to give drivers more traction.

Corey Rivera with the City of Colorado Springs Public Works says, “The chemical that we have for de-icing is not made for pre-treating roads and so we don’t pre-treat our roads … trying to melt these roads down will just cause re-freezing in the entire roadway, so we’re just going to let it freeze over.”

Colorado Springs Utilities says it is prepared to handle the influx of natural gas and heat demand for its customers and is ready to deal with main outages or power outages.

They caution if you use high wattage space heaters to be careful not to overload your circuit.

Officials are also asking people to stay home if they can, not only because of freezing temperatures outside, but because of slippery roads.

You can call Pikes Peak United Way through a 2-1-1 hotline for any non-emergency situation – whether it involves utilities, food or emergency shelter.