Mayor Rahm Emanuel visited a City salt station at Grand Avenue and North Rockwell Street today to check on preparedness efforts underway by the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation (DSS) to respond to snow this winter season.

"Chicago is no stranger to snow. Our Streets and Sanitation crews keep the city moving safely every winter and they’re fully prepared to respond to snow this year,” said Mayor Emanuel. “As temperatures drop and conditions worsen, I encourage residents to help us by checking on their elderly neighbors and calling 311 if you need assistance.”

DSS has added 20 new trucks and 14 new hi-lifts to its fleet of more than 330 snow removal vehicles this season. All vehicles are serviced and ready to respond to snow, as needed.

“Our priority is always keeping residents safe,” said Acting DSS Commissioner John Tully. “We begin preparing for snow in June to be sure that our crews and spreaders are ready to respond as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

Since the summer, DSS has trained drivers and supervisors, prepared the snow removal fleet, and built a reserve of 374,000 tons of road salt in preparation for the winter season.

The City has already responded to three snow events this season and maintains reserves of road salt at 19 salt stations throughout Chicago to address additional storms throughout the winter months.

DSS will monitor the weather and ground conditions from the City’s Snow Command. When snow is in the forecast, crews are deployed to salt and plow the 287 arterial streets and Lake Shore Drive to ensure that roads are safe and passable for motorists and buses.

AccuWeather predicts roughly 40-45 inches of snow in Chicago this winter season.

During storms, motorists should not impede snow plow operations and be sure to pull over for any emergency vehicles.

For more information on snow fighting efforts underway in Chicago, visit DSS at www.cityofchicago.org/dss.

Residents can also monitor the City’s snow plows in real time on the Plow Tracker, www.chicagoshovels.org.