Slippery road warning barriers placed in Tulelake

Tulelake, CA-- Weather-warning barriers have been placed and set up between Fourth Street and Modoc Ave on C Street. Due to the fact with the latest storm and the freezing temperatures that have come our way, not what hit Tulelake but up and down Northern California.

Where even Redding received a blanket of snow and now freezing temperatures. Temperatures and snow that is not normal for Redding, CA. They are not used to pipes busting or freezing like we are in Tulelake. But even in this area of California where we live in snow country, we know what to do to protect our pipes from freezing. This storm that came through even affected people further north in Oregon.

In areas where they are used to having snow and know how to prepare for it, they were experiencing unusual freezing stress on their pipes. Where they were busting from the lower, than normal freezing temperatures below zero. This last storm was something we might expect to get or see in mid January, not in early December. Even for this area the snow was late this year but the freezing temperatures were early and colder than even what is normal freezing for Tulelake.

The Tulelake water tower had an over flow of water spill down off the tower onto C street. With the freezing temperatures, it has turned the water into a sheet of ice. More like a frozen sheet of black ice to be put more bluntly, that is slowly thawing. This could be not only hazardous to those walking in the area but even more still for driving in the area. It is really dangerous for those driving on C Street less well people walking past the Tulelake water tower.

When walking next to the fence by the water tower you can feel under your feet and hear what sounds like ice cracking. Like, as if you were to tempt to walk out on a frozen lake. You can hear, see, and feel the ice begin to crack under neither your feet. Well, it is that same kind of sound, sight and feeling you get as you walk across a frozen lake. It is in the area on C Street, next to the fence by the water tower, across from the Tulelake Police Station.

I did notice there is enough lighting from the street light above, to see the safty barriers at night, but just barley. The safety barriers that are out there on the street that are blocking both entrances. Coming from the Post Office heading North towards Jocks or South towards East and West Street on Modoc Ave or coming up 4th Street heading North towards Jocks or heading south up Fourth Street, towards East and West. You can see the safety barriers as you approach the area heading east on C Street from Main Street.

The city of Tulelake does not have snowplows. But if the city snowed plowed the area it would be clear and safe, but the city of Tulelake cannot afford that expense to my knowledge, and never have had snowplows that I know of, like Cal-trans.

I did notice one thing when looking at the safety barriers, that were set up. And that is that they did not have any flashing lights on them. I don’t know if it is because the city doesn't have any, or if who ever put them up, did not want to use the flashing light safety barriers, for what ever reasons. I don’t know, which case it is right now?

However, if we don’t have any safety barriers with flashing lights, I don’t see why the city couldn't borrow some from either Cal-trans or the Tulelake District Fair Grounds. If the area is still the same tomorrow night, it might be a good idea with the powers that be in the city of Tulelake, that they see to it, that there are some safety flashing light barriers put in place. So the city doesn't have any unexpected accidents, and at the same time where it could be a liability for the city for neglect, for not have having the flashing safety barriers in place if an accident should occur in that area for vehicles or pedestrians.

We will see what happens tomorrow night, if it is the same way as it was tonight. Or if there has been changes and an update with safety barriers staying for another night as they were tonight, to continue without flashing lights. We will have to wait and see if the snow and ice has melted enough for vehicles to travel that way again in town tomorrow.

I haven't checked the most recent weather report yet, before I posted this article. So I don't know the answer to that question at this moment about the forecast for tomorrow's weather.

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