Wichita street crews are getting ready for two more winter storms that will be moving into the city over the next few days.

The city could get a trace to an inch of snow Thursday night into Friday, and another two inches or more could fall with another storm that begins late Sunday and continues into Monday.  In addition, there will be bitter cold temperatures that will be in the teens Friday and Saturday with single digits Sunday and Monday.

Assistant public works director Aaron Henning said the colder temperatures will affect the speed and effectiveness of the salt and sand mix that is used to treat the major routes across the city.  He said crews will be adding calcium chloride to the mix, which will make it more effective.

Henning said depending on actual conditions, the colder temperatures mean that snowpacked conditions may last longer on Wichita streets, and they could continue for several days, so drivers should be prepared if they have to travel.

Henning said people should also be prepared for the dangerous wind chills.   They should stay home if they can, have an emergency kit with food, water and medicine for everyone in the household, have a plan for where to go in case there’s a power outage and the home becomes too cold, and they should check on neighbors and loved ones to make sure they’re staying warm.   People who need to go out should avoid the coldest part of the day, dress in layers and cover exposed skin, and they should let others know of their travel plans.

People can also protect their homes by monitoring their water pipes, disconnecting garden hoses and covering outside faucets to prevent frozen and burst pipes.   They can also open cabinet doors to allow heat to pipes indoors.   Allowing water to drip or run in a thin stream from a faucet in the basement or the lowest level of a home can also prevent freezing.  Keeping the temperature in the home at 68 degrees or warmer will also make it less likely to have frozen pipes.