SWEETWATER COUNTY — Sweetwater County Public Works Director Gene Legerski informed the Sweetwater County Commission and the public of the county’s snowplow plans for the impending snowstorm. 

Legerski said the county could get 6 to 12 inches of snow this week. 

“It’s hard to believe but the weather forecast is predicting at 88 percent certainty that we’ll get at least six (inches),” Legerski said. 

He said the county has seven plows in total. Three plows will be operating in Jamestown and the mines. One plow will go to McKinnon, as those roads are bus routes and must be cleared off. The remaining plows will be north of Rock Springs and at Reliance. 

“I want the public to know that we only do arterial streets… If you look out north of Rock Springs, that’s the fire lanes and Yellowstone (Road). The reason we do that is because if we don’t get those cleared and we release everybody from the neighborhoods onto those streets, we’re just going to have a mess,” Legerski explained. 

He said the plows will be working until 10-10:30 tonight, “or until they can’t see.” The plows will then head back out tomorrow between 4 and 5 a.m. 

“Our plow drivers’ safety is the most important thing. If they can’t see because the wind’s blowing too hard and they just can’t plow and it’s worthless, we’re not going to plow. We’re not going to send them out there.” 

Legerski said the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) has had several accidents where snowplows have been struck this year. He said the county won’t put its snowplow drivers in situations that are unsafe. 

“We fortunately haven’t had any plows hit in the last four years, WYDOT has had I think 14 hit this year already. So it’s just one of those things where we want our plow drivers to be safe,” he said. 

Commissioner Lauren Schoenfeld asked what the process was for closing county facilities if that becomes necessary. Legerski said he will be at work at 5 a.m. to ensure things are clear. If he believes buildings should be closed due to the storm, he will be in contact with Chairman Keaton West to give that recommendation. He said ultimately it is up to the Board of County Commissioners. 

“It’s a board action to close the buildings,” Legerski said. 

He added that county’s custodians will be on call until 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the detention center. He further stated that the county will have to take travel restrictions within the cities into consideration as well. However, he said they won’t know the extent of the storm and its effects until it happens. 

“We don’t really know what’s going to get here until it gets here because it’s Wyoming, but I just wanted to make that aware,” Legerski said.