Winter Weather Coming In: What to Expect

Douglas County is under a Winter Storm Watch from 6:00 PM on Friday, 1/23/2026 through 6:00 AM on Sunday, 1/25/2026. Heavy snow is possible, with total accumulations of 5 to 8 inches, according to Douglas County Emergency Management and the US National Weather Service.

How does Baldwin City handle winter weather?

City employees are prepared and ready, with a solid plan in place.

Ahead of the storm

The Public Works crew is prepping trucks and putting snow plows and sanders on Thursday and Friday, to be ready to roll. The trucks will be parked facing outward to make rollout as efficient and smooth as possible when the time comes.

Pre-treatment of the roads depends on several factors, including predicted temperatures. Salt doesn't work well when temperatures are below 15 degrees Fahrenheit, so pre-treating may be a waste of time and money.

Getting it done

The crew monitors the weather and alerts from Douglas County Emergency Management very closely during severe weather. We will wait until the storm passes to begin plowing, if possible, in order to reduce overall costs. However, Baldwin City Police Department keeps the Public Works staff informed on real time street conditions. If the snow is piling up quickly, main roads will be opened as soon as possible.

We focus on the snow routes, the roads near the schools, and downtown first. These are the heaviest traffic areas within city limits. The brick streets get slick very quickly, so we try to get to them early. They also take extra time because we need to navigate around vehicles.

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Snow routes are:

• High Street
• Lawrence Street to Highway 56
• 6th Street

If you have vehicles parked on these streets, please consider moving it before the storm begins, considering the amount of snow predicted. If there is more than 2 inches of snow fall, you must move your vehicle off the snow routes in order to avoid being ticketed or towed.

Other things to know:

• Douglas County is responsible for 6th Street (1055) and KDOT maintains Highway 56. The city does not maintain these two main roads, including weather maintenance.
• Plow drivers may have low visibility, and are concentrating on several things -- the position of the plow, curb lines, ditches, parked cars, mailboxes, watching their mirrors for traffic and pedestrians -- all at the same time. Please try to make their job a bit easier and keep everyone a little safer.
• If there's enough snowfall to allow for sizable snow plow piles, please do NOT allow children to play in the snow plow piles. It can be exceedingly dangerous.

Last, but maybe most important, please be patient with us. We are out working for our town in the worst of conditions. We want to ensure the streets are as safe as possible so everyone can get home safely.