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Storm dumps several inches on region |
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Thursday, 06 December 2007 |
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 Staff photos/Mike Burkholder
A snow plow clears snow from High Street Wednesday morning. Inset: A city worker uses a snow blower to clear a sidewalk along Spring Street. The storm dumped approximately 3 inches on St. Marys and the surrounding area.
By MIKE BURKHOLDER
Managing Editor
ST. MARYS — As residents in Auglaize County woke up to a blanket of snow Wednesday, officials say keeping a level head is key when taking to the roads.
Auglaize County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director Troy Anderson told The Evening Leader approximately 3 inches of snow fell on Auglaize County. As the snow moved into the region late Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning, Anderson said roads became slick for the morning commute.
“Right now we are monitoring the roads and I drove them this morning (Wednesday) and most were snow covered,” Anderson said. “What we do is look at the conditions and issue weather statements on our alert radios letting people know what is out there.”
An Alberta Clipper system moved through the region Tuesday night, dumping snow across Ohio. A clipper is characterized as a fast-moving, low pressure area that typically affects central Canada and the Great Lakes region.
To keep motorists informed, Anderson said he disseminates messages via an e-mail system. Anderson said the powdery snow that fell during the storm could cause problems in the coming days.
“The powder snow is light, but it packs down and makes a glass surface on the road,” Anderson said. “That makes the roads really slick.”
Countywide, Auglaize County Sheriff Al Solomon encouraged motorists to listen to media reports in time of snow fall prior to venturing onto roads. While a few northern counties declares snow level emergencies, Solomon reminded residents Auglaize County does not use the system.
“We do not use the level system but we do keep the residents informed through the media,” Solomon said. “We work with the county engineer to get as much information on the advisories as possible.”
While the snow made for a slick commute, Solomon said the storm caused only a handful of incidents. The sheriff said common sense is key when piloting snow-covered roads.
“Actually it didn’t get too bad,” Solomon said. “We had a few incidents with cars in ditches but nothing major at this point related to the snow.”
In St. Marys, Police Chief Greg Foxhoven said there were no serious incidents caused by the snowfall.
However the police chief encouraged residents to be considerate during times of heavy snowfall.
“We always encourage people to move their cars off of the street so they can be plowed,” Foxhoven said. “Everyone benefits from that.”
Foxhoven said officers deal with a handful of snowed-in vehicles on city streets each year. To combat the problem, Foxhoven said officers will be aggressive to make sure residents move vehicles in a timely manner.
“We just get too many complaints when people leave their cars on the roads and they get snowed in,” Foxhoven said. “Last year we made arrangements with elderly residents to get their cars cleared and move and will help them.”
In addition to keeping streets clear of vehicles, Foxhoven stressed homeowners should keep their sidewalks clear of snow. As students return to class today, Foxhoven said those who walk to school could be placed into dangerous situations by uncleared sidewalks.
“If they are not cleared then they will walk in the streets,” Foxhoven said. “That puts them in a dangerous situation.”
St. Marys Superintendent of General Services Denny Craft told The Evening Leader he called in a salt crew just before midnight Wednesday.
However after a few hours, Craft said he decided to wait until the storm left the region.
“I came in and it was getting on the verge of becoming slick,” Craft said. “I called two guys in to do a salt route and that took about two hours. However by the time they were done it was a losing battle.”
Craft said when the snowfall lightened up, he sent a convoy of plows, backhoes and snow blowers around the city.
Craft also said he plans to send some trucks out today to clean up the remaining snow on city streets.
“At 7 a.m. (Wednesday) I sent out six trucks, two backhoes and two snow blowers,” Craft said. “It takes a good five hours from when the snow stops to get our 46 miles of roads cleared.”
Like Foxhoven, Craft encouraged residents to keep vehicles off city streets during times of snowfall.
“It helps us out because we can push the snow further back before it freezes,” Craft said. |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 10 December 2007 )
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