Snow storm causes problems in valley

By WAYNE TOWNER, wtowner@newsandsentinel.com
PARKERSBURG — As snow blanketed the Mid-Ohio Valley Saturday, accident reports for area law enforcement agencies ranged from few to many as roads and streets were covered by snow following a night of freezing temperatures.

“The motorists did good, we didn’t have a single accident reported,” Sgt. Joe Fields reported for the Belpre Police Department Saturday afternoon.

Other departments were less lucky during the early hours of the winter storm. The Ohio Highway Patrol post in Marietta reported responding to a dozen accidents between midnight and Saturday afternoon. The Parkersburg Police Department reported several accidents on city streets on Saturday due to slippery road conditions.

The Wood County 911 Center said about 50 accidents were reported between 9 a.m. and noon Saturday throughout Wood County, but only one involved injuries. Most of the accidents involved single vehicles losing control on the slippery roads, but there were also a number of multiple vehicle accidents reported, the center said. The two most active areas for accidents Saturday were Interstate 77 and U.S. 50.

Accident calls continued to flow in throughout the day and evening Saturday to area departments, involving both single and multiple vehicles.

According to Washington County Sheriff Larry Mincks, the snow emergency level for the county had dropped to Level 1 Saturday afternoon from Level 2 overnight. The Morgan County Sheriff’s Department remained under a Level 2 snow emergency.

In Ohio, a Level 1 snow emergency means roadways are hazardous with blowing and drifting snow and the roads may be icy so drivers should be cautious. A Level 2 snow emergency means roadways are hazardous with blowing and drifting snow as well and officials advise only those who feel it is necessary to drive should be out on the roadways.

Randall Hatfield, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Charleston, said the weather service was still waiting on measurements from some local communities Saturday evening, but the amount of snowfall received throughout the day was expected to range from 3 to 4.2 inches in Jackson County up to 5 inches in Marietta and possibly higher.

Hatfield said most of Saturday’s snowfall came from a large weather system that moved through the Ohio Valley during the day. A few remnants of that system may come through the area today resulting in scattered snow showers, but no additional accumulation is expected today.

The weather is expected to clear today with partly sunny skies and a high near 34 degrees. Hatfield said Monday’s high is expected to be in the 40s, with a mix of rain and snow. The weather will gradually warm up through the rest of the week. By Wednesday, highs should reach the mid-50s.