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Wintry blast freezes region |
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Thursday, 15 January 2009 |
By WILLIAM LANEY and
MIKE BURKHOLDER
Staff Writers
ST. MARYS — An Alberta clipper bringing snow and high winds hit Auglaize County and the Midwest Wednesday with frigid temperatures expected today and Friday before relief starts Saturday.
The storm dumped approximately 5 inches of snow on the area prompting area school officials to call for an hour early dismissal Wednesday and for county and city crews to begin plowing in the morning.
Auglaize County Engineer Doug Reinhart dispatched his road crews at 5 a.m. Wednesday and again this morning at 5 a.m.
“The wind was causing problems, but it receded in the evening and then whatever they plowed back stayed in place,” Reinhart said. “I’m concerned about tonight and tomorrow, Winds will be between 15 to 25 mph, and with that loose snow we just experienced, we can see some drifting tomorrow first thing. If winds are sustained, we may be plowing all day, and we may not gain a whole lot on the situation.”
Reinhart said this is the 27th time crews have been dispatched to clear the roads. They have applied 55 percent of the salt in stock this winter season.
He said the intersections are salted, but “its underneath the snow, and until sun comes out, or the temperature gets above the teens, it’s not going to do anything.”
“We’ve used about 7,500 gallons of fuel this winter, and logged in about 780 hours of overtime,” Reinhart said. “The salt situation concerns me. Fortunately we have filled the salt shed for a normal winter, enough material to last us throughout the season, but this hasn’t been a normal winter. We got some from ODOT (Ohio Department of Transportation) that did help. It added about 20 percent to the supply, but even with that additional amount, we have used 55 percent of our stock.”
City crews in St. Marys kept busy Wednesday by shoveling sidewalks and plowing city roads. Workers got an early start today and cleared off sidewalks early this morning.
In New Bremen, crews used six plows to keep village roads cleared. Village Administrator Wayne York said village workers were out all day battling the storm.
“The pickup trucks did the alleys and parking areas,” York said this morning. “Then we used our large snow blower and do the downtown areas.”
York said village employees did not salt roads because of the continuously falling snow and cold temperatures.
York said if temperatures reach the teens, then village crews would salt roads later today.
“You don’t salt when the snow keeps coming down because when you plow again, you move the salt,” York said. “If it gets into the teens, we will go out. However in the single digits, you won’t get any action.”
York said village crews will be out today scrapping streets in an attempt to get to the road surface.
School officials in St. Marys, Celina, Wapakoneta and Waynesfield-Goshen decided to close school today. Minster, New Bremen and New Knoxville issued two-hour delays for school districts.
The storm also prompted some area schools to let students out a few hours early in hopes of beating the storm.
The National Weather Service in Wilmington issued a wind chill advisory until 1 a.m. Friday and from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Friday, with a wind chill warning from 1 a.m. until 10 a.m.
According to Wilmington and WLIO NBC LIMA, scattered flurries are likely today with a daytime high of 5 degrees Fahrenheit, with a wind chill as low as 15 degrees below zero. Temperatures during the night are to plummet to 5 to 10 degrees below, with wind chills as low as 25 below.
Friday is forecast as clear and sunny with a temperatures reaching between 5 and 10 degrees, but wind chills could be as low as 30 degrees below.
Saturday temperatures are expected to increase to 20 degrees, but winds can gust to 35 mph dropping the wind chill to 25 degrees below.
Temperatures are to remain steady with a low near 20, with temperatures climbing slightly on Sunday.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 20 January 2009 )
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