The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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December 8, 2009

Storm tests new plowing policy

Mankato closes four hills

By Dan Linehan

MANKATO — Mount Kato’s 23 snow guns were going full blast Tuesday as the season’s first snowstorm picked up.

The storm dropped 3 inches on Mankato by 8 p.m. and was expected to leave at least 5 inches more through today. But Mother Nature alone does not provide enough snow for good skiing, general manager Jeff Putrah said.

Because 6 inches of snow packs down to about half an inch, Mount Kato only gets 5 percent of its snow from the sky even in a good year, Putrah said.

But even if snowstorms aren’t much help to the slopes, they do put people in a skiing state of mind, he said. Mount Kato will be closed today and plans to open for the season Thursday.

Aside from a collision between a truck and a school bus that was empty except for the driver, there were no major injuries reported Tuesday as a result of the storm.

The bus was traveling east on Highway 14 between Janesville and Eagle Lake when a pickup truck slid through a yield sign on County Road 48 and clipped the rear of the bus. The bus tipped over and the driver, 57-year-old James Koster of Madison Lake, was taken to Immanuel St. Joseph’s Hospital, where he was listed in serious condition Tuesday evening.

There were about 16 minor crashes reported in the city of Mankato through 9 p.m., said Mankato police Cmdr. Deb McDermott.

Between 8 and 10 inches of snow was forecast to fall in south-central Minnesota through today, the National Weather Service reported, with the most snow falling in the southeast area.

The city of Mankato’s new measures designed to cut down on overtime for snowplow drivers saw their first major test.

Some plow drivers were asked to come in at about 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday to better align their regular working hours with the snowfall, Streets Supt. Jim Braunshausen said.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the city’s plan was to put all of its plows on the street at 3 a.m. this morning and hit the major routes first, Braunshausen said. By the time Mankato wakes up the major streets should be clear and “we will have put a really good dent” in the neighborhood streets.

Four major hills — Warren Street, Stadium Drive, Monks Avenue and Parkway Avenue — were closed at 6:30 p.m. or so Tuesday and might re-open this morning. That depends on when they become safe to use again, Braunshausen said.

The plan, of course, is flexible depending on how much snow falls.

Braunshausen said a snow emergency is likely for today.

He also said drivers are doing a good job slowing down in the slippery conditions.

Officials at the State Patrol and Minnesota Department of Transportation were reminding drivers to keep their lights on even in daylight, spokeswoman Rebecca Arndt said.

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