First freeze of the winter as Peterborough gritting lorries set to hit the roads TONIGHT
The city's gritting lorries will be deployed tonight as temperatures are expected to drop below freezing for the first time this winter, with residents advised to prepare for icy conditions.
We may only be in the middle of November - but the first freeze of the winter has arrived.
With temperatures set to dip tonight, the council’s gritting lorries are set to head out on runs to keep the main roads of Peterborough safe in the cold conditions.
The council has six gritting lorries to call on - Aston Verycold, Chilly Eilish, I Want to Break Freeze, Lou-ice Smith, Sleet Caroline and Thaw Patrol.
The six trucks are based at the Fengate depot, with a barn filled with more than 2,000 tonnes of grit – enough to last through the winter season.
The largest of the lorries can carry six tonnes of grit (actually, it is salt – but it is known as grit) and 3,000 litres of brine on each run, with the grit being spread at different ratios, depending on how cold it is going to be.
There is a minimum level of grit the council has to store, to ensure the roads are kept safe.
The grit – which is produced in Britain – is rotated through the year to ensure its quality.
There are 12 drivers who carry out the runs - and during the really cold weather, they head out on the runs multiple times in a night.
The grit actually starts to lose effectiveness when temperatures drop below -5C - which is why multiple runs are sometimes needed.
The teams monitor data from Vaisala weather stations, as well as being in contact with the Met Office. If the forecast is for the temperature to dip below about 1C, then the teams will go out.
You can see the routes taken by the gritters at https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/residents/transport-and-streets/winter-maintenance