Those white streaks were put there by Public Works Department crews to give them a little bit of an edge when dealing with today’s expected snow.

The faint markings are the result of spraying a salt and water mixture called brine on the pavement.

Applying brine helps in two ways, according to Public Works Director Brett Daniel.

He said it helps to melt newly fallen snow. It also helps to break the bond between snow and ice and the pavement, he said.

Daniel said brine was sprayed on hills and bridges Wednesday.

The brine is mixed in a big tank in the city’s Central Garage. It is applied using a tank and spraying rig mounted in the back of a dump truck.

The spay rig setup was made by public works employees.

“A lot of the stuff we work with is innovated by our staff,” Daniel said.

The National Weather Service is predicting 2 to 5 inches of snow for the Fort Dodge area, starting this afternoon.