Jeff Klein, Emergency Management Agency director for Wood County, has issued the following advisory:
By now I am sure you have heard Wood County will experience severe winter weather starting Thursday.
Sequence of events
- Thursday morning 5-6 a.m. there is a chance of light snow or a rain/snow mix changing to all rain by 9 a.m. continuing throughout the day.
- Friday morning 2-3 a.m. rain will change to snow and continuing throughout Friday.
- Temperature will fall from 36F at midnight to 10F by 8 a.m.
- With the rain Thursday and fast temperature drop, the roads will not have time to dry before freezing. During the morning commute drivers will likely be faced with 45-55 mph winds with gusts 60mph+ on roads with snow over ice. Friday morning road conditions are expected to be extremely hazardous.
- Winds will continue Saturday with temperatures 15-20 degrees below normal throughout the weekend.
Concerns
- Dangerous winds and ice will make many roads impassable with whiteout/ blizzard conditions.
- Electrical lines down due to wind and ice.
- Waterline breaks.
- Dangerous windchills for those who are outside or lose power and/or heat.
- Wood County wind chills will be -10F for 36- 48 hours.
- Winds will be similar to Blizzard of ‘78
Action Items
- As always, monitor current weather conditions for your location.
- If you don’t have to be outside to not leave home.
- If you do go out and have an issue (accident/ slide off the road) have supplies to be prepared to wait several hours or more for a tow truck.
- Make sure people know where you are going and estimated arrival time in case you do not arrive.
- Have a plan where you will go (hotel, business, friend) in case conditions worsen and you cannot safely continue.
- Make sure your destination is open and/or accessible.
- Secure loose outdoor items including holiday decorations.
- Prepare for power outages: extra fuel for generators, make sure they start and whoever will be using them knows the correct, safe operating procedures.
- Have sufficient food and supplies for the weekend.
- Prepare for your pet’s needs.
- Check on your neighbors to make sure they are safe.
- Consider changing travel plans to avoid driving on Friday.
The National Weather Service (NWS) will be providing updates on social media throughout this event. The Wood County EMA will provide updates via email and social media. The primary concern will be the combination of the hazardous road conditions (high winds over snow over ice) as well as the extreme cold.
The EMA will continue to monitor and provide updates as appropriate.
