City road crews are already prepping for tonight's forecasted storm with sidewalk machines out clearing residual snow and ice and putting down a sand/salt mix.
Trucks are also salting the main roads after a change in the forecast prompted a quick change in city plans.
Craig Morton, Manager of Roads, Parks and Fleet says that it now looks like the storm will start with freezing rain and ice pellets tonight and then move into freezing rain instead of starting with snow, as was originally forecasted.
Morton said the snow start was a better scenario because the snow would've soaked up the freezing rain and eased the impact.
Environment Canada is warning of possible power outages and that highways, roads and sidewalks may become icy and slippery.
Through the evening and overnight, city staff will be checking the forecast from two dedicated weather stations in Barrie.
Staff will also be out patrolling this evening as per usual watching the conditions and they''ll make the cal for sanders and plows as required.
Morton says the city tries to be as pro-active as possible to lessen the impact but he urges residents to do their part by keeping vehicles off the roads.
The most remarkable aspect of the forecast is that Wednesday's high is plus 10.
The city is prepared for whatever happens between now and then.
"We're ready to go. We know the storm is coming," said Morton. "We have plans in place."
The city's storm arsenal by numbers:
-12 city owned plows
-13 contracted plows
-14 city sanders with underbody plow
-6 city owned sidewalk plows
-13 contracted sidewalk plows
-about 15,000 tonnes of salt
-about 11,000 tonnes used so far
