While freezing rain and strong winds created problems for
commuters traveling to both class and work Monday, the National Weather Service
predicts even more weather issues for Tuesday and Wednesday.

A strong low-pressure system strengthening in the
Mississippi Valley and moving northeast is expected to drop anywhere from five
to nine inches of snow by Wednesday night and produce strong wind gusts,
according the National Weather Service.

?Right now we are keeping an eye on things,? said George
Dreckmann, spokesperson for Madison streets division. ?As long as it stays
rainy, there is not much we can do. Once it starts getting colder, we will
start using salt on the roads.?

As a precaution, the streets division plans to keep roads
safe by salting during the initial part of the predicted storm.

?The key when you are going into a storm like this is to get
enough salt down to prevent the snow from bonding with the pavement,? Dreckmann
said. ?Then, as it comes down heavier, you can keep plowing it off. I think we
will be in good shape in terms of preventing that bonding.?

According to Joel DeSpain, public information officer for
the Madison Police Department, there is not much officers can do in terms of
precaution. But as the forecasted storm progresses, the department may adopt a
procedure to assess which emergencies take priority.

?In general terms, if the roads get really slick, and there
are a lot of slide offs, what we go to is called ?blood and blockage,?? DeSpain
said. ?Police officers will only respond to crashes where there are injuries
and the road is blocked.?

In addition to the blood and blockage procedure, MPD
officers may resort to wrapping chains around the tires on squad cars to
increase traction in order to reach emergency situations if conditions become
severe.

?There are times when snow is so significant that officers
may put chains on squad cars to get around,? DeSpain said. ?But that does not
happen too often.?

The predicted snowfall is expected to bring the city of
Madison closer to a record-high snow accumulation, said Jon Martin, University
of Wisconsin chair of the atmospheric and ocean sciences department.

According to Martin, the all-time record-high was 76.1
inches set about 20 years ago, and Madison is currently 16 inches shy of that
record.

?We stand a very good chance of breaking the all-time record
for the city of Madison in terms of snow,? Martin said. ?We are going to have a
winter to remember.?

In addition, Dreckmann said there has been no increase in
accidents due to the recent inclement weather, but as conditions worsen, he
urges citizens to be careful.

?This is an unusual winter in terms of the volume of
material that has come down,? Dreckmann said. ?People always need to use their
heads when they are out there. That is the critical part of getting around
safely.?