Friday, February 05, 2010
Winter takes another wallop at Southwest Va.
After digging out after last week's storm, the region prepares for another foot of snow today and Saturday.
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From today's paper
- Weather Journal: Storm likely to sprinkle more snow, less sleet
- Trusty winter tool in short supply locally
- Winter takes another wallop at Southwest Va.
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Southwest Virginia braced for its third major winter storm of the season by priming roads with salt, scheduling crews on 12-hour shifts and asking people to stay home.
Gov. Bob McDonnell declared a state of emergency as the National Weather Service predicted nature would deliver an assault of about a foot in the Roanoke and New River valleys today and Saturday, the second deep snow in a week.
"We've gotten used to this drill so we're prepared as we'll ever be," said Ruth Richey, a spokeswoman for Montgomery County.
Those in charge of clearing major roads began preparing for today's snow as soon as the area was dumped with 8 to 12 inches last weekend.
Virginia Department of Transportation mechanics repaired plow blades and salt beds on trucks Wednesday and Thursday to ensure trucks are properly equipped, said spokesman Jason Bond.
"Having an event so closely after the last one hasn't given us as much time," Bond said. "When we have a winter weather event we work in 12-hour shifts but our equipment works around the clock."
Appalachian Power Co. crews were sent to stand by near its district centers in Roanoke and Christiansburg, the most densely populated customer areas, said spokesman John Shepelwich.
The weather service forecast snow turning into sleet and ice, which can choke wires and trees and pull them down, interrupting service. In anticipation, Shepelwich said, AEP called its tree-trimming and electric line contractors.
Meanwhile, the Virginia Department of Forestry made six teams of personnel with chain saws and pickup trucks available to aid local emergency operations if needed, the department said in a news release Thursday. In Roanoke, city management asked drivers to park on driveways when possible, and to park on the odd-numbered side of streets so that plow trucks can more easily scrape the pavement. Authorities asked that drivers not park directly across from another car to avoid bottlenecking.
In Salem, crews were scheduled to begin treating roads with salt at 4 a.m. today, said Mike Tyler, the city's streets and general maintenance director. Snowstorms this season have worn down equipment, so it has been maintained continuously, Tyler said.
"We're doing our best to ensure that they're in working order and are as good as they were when we got the first storm of the winter," he said.
At Roanoke Regional Airport, Delta, United and US Airways have waived change fees for travelers affected by the weather.
Snow crews there were on standby and scheduled to begin treating pavement there at 5 a.m., said Amanda Dehaven, an airport spokeswoman. Eight of 14 arriving flights and six of 11 departing flights scheduled for today had been canceled by Thursday night, according to roanokeairport.com.
The Virginia Department of Emergency Management this week urged drivers to stay off the highways during and after the storm. The department recommended drivers have a full tank of fuel, blanket, ice scraper, bottled water, a snack, a cellphone and important medications.
