Lincoln Command Center helps organize chaotic conditions

Navigating with all the slush on the ground can be difficult. Much of the City's efforts on Friday was focused on the main roads, school and bus routes. They monitor all the changing conditions from the City's Command Center.

It may not seem like it to the average person, but by the City's account, this was nothing but a typical January snowstorm. The snow was plowed and anti-icing material was spread. It was also a chance to use their command center. At the center, someone is monitoring major intersections in Lincoln to see what the team needs to do next.

"The roads were a little slick, but it wasn't very bad," said Nancy Liebers, Lincoln resident. "But, I walked out of the Goodwill and my legs almost came out from underneath me."

Some were even out preparing for more storms.

"I'm just buying a snow shovel here because my old one broke," said Danel Jacques, Lincoln resident.

The City had 85 crews out on the street plowing throughout the day.

"Our traffic management center... serves as a hub for us to manage city-wide operations, whether that be flood response, snow removal, football Saturdays," Byrne said.

The center shows some of the busiest intersections in Lincoln.

"Dispatchers and supervisors can manage city-wide conditions by having traffic cameras at their disposal, weather forecasting at their disposal and being able to monitor weather conditions in real-time," Byrne said.

The City also uses six infrared sensors placed strategically to measure the temperature of the pavement, but none of those sensors are measuring the bridges.

"We do have additional sensors that we're getting ready to deploy to other areas of town as well as bridges," said Bryne.

20 crews are on patrol overnight to apply salt wet with brine on the main roads. Those crew report that main streets range from slushy to snow-packed. The City urges drivers to be alert for black ice and slick spots, especially in untreated areas.