By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
“Snowmageddon” has not lived up to its billing – at least not yet.
The early forecasts of 18-22 inches of snow have been downgraded to 10-12 inches. That’s still a significant amount, but manageable according to Bowling Green and Wood County officials.
“This is actually a little disappointing. I was hoping for more snow,” Wood County Road Superintendent Terry Hummel said this morning.
County crews are responsible for 254 miles of roadway, with 16 snowplows.
“They’re really not too bad, though the slushy stuff froze to the road,” Hummel said of the rural roads.
As of mid-morning, the county had gotten three to four inches of snow, he said.
“The wind is what makes it a mess,” Hummel said. “It’s supposed to blow until tomorrow morning.”
County plow drivers have not encountered any stranded motorists – but they have come across some impatient drivers.
“A couple trucks got hit last night. People get in a hurry and don’t want to wait,” Hummel said. The county trucks are still operable, and the cars had minor damage to a mirror and a turn signal light.
Wood County Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn started his rounds driving county roads at 4 this morning.
He credited road crews for doing a “fantastic job” keeping the rural roads navigable.
“All the roads are passable,” he said as he drove down Dowling Road near Lime City Road.
But drivers should be aware of the ice coating the pavement.
“With all the rain we got yesterday, it finally froze,” Wasylyshyn said. “The key is they are icy. If people drive for the conditions, they will be OK. People need to be driving slow enough to be able to take evasive actions and stop if they need to.`”
The sheriff issued a Level 1 snow alert on Wednesday, and said this morning that he was not expecting to have to bump that to a Level 2.
But a lot rests on the wind speed over the next several hours, he said.
“The wind is what causes trouble,” Wasylyshyn said. “So the jury’s still out.”
The jury weighed in around 2:30 p.m., with heavier snow and wind, leading the sheriff to up the snow alert to Level 2. If the snow and winds die down this evening as expected, the county will return to Level 1, the sheriff said.
In Bowling Green, road crews have been working around the clock to keep the roads passable.
“I think our roads are pretty good, considering all things,” Bowling Green Public Services Director Joe Fawcett said this morning.
If the storm dumps less than the projected 18 inches, that is just fine with Fawcett.
“I don’t think it’s anywhere near as bad as first projected. We’re OK with that,” he said. “But once you hit five inches of snow, it’s still a significant amount on the road.”
City offices remain open and garbage/recycling crews picked up bins this morning as scheduled. And police are patrolling as usual.
“So far, so good,” Police Lt. Adam Skaff said this morning. “The city crews are doing a good job getting ahead of things.”
Bowling Green residents responded to city requirements that vehicles be removed from “snow streets” to allow for better plowing. No vehicles were ticketed, and none had to be towed, Skaff said.
“People are doing a good job of keeping their cars off the streets,” he said.
Fawcett credited the police for contacting vehicle owners on snow streets to remind them that they would be ticketed and towed if they weren’t removed.
“This is a very good example of the police division working for the community,” Fawcett said. “My hat is off to them.”
The city is also asking that people remove cars from all street parking if possible.
“Anytime it snows, having people park somewhere other than the street makes for easier and safer snow removal,” Fawcett said.
