Frigid temps follow Tuesday’s snowstorm

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Snow. Then cold. That’s the pattern so far this year, and Van Wert County Emergency Management Director Rick McCoy said that pattern would continue for the latest storm to hit the area.

Tuesday’s storm dumped 9 inches of the white stuff on Van Wert, while Grover Hill received 9.5 inches of snow. Celina also had 9 inches of snow, while Greenville topped area Ohio communities with 10 inches of snow.

That doesn’t compare, though, with the 13.6 inches that fell in North Webster, Ind., coincidentally the home of the nearest National Weather Service office. Two other Indiana cities, Columbia City and Warsaw, both received 12 inches of snow from the storm.

McCoy commended the NWS for accuracy in its predictions for the storm, noting that the forecast of 6-10 inches for the Van Wert County area was “right on the mark.”

Beleaguered county school districts had to cancel classes again, and are also on a two-hour delay this morning because of less-than-stellar road conditions.

According to McCoy, total snowfall this winter is at 51.3 inches – approximately 20 inches above average, but far from a record. Many county residents can remember the winter of 1978, when 83 inches of snow fell, while 82 inches fell on the county just four years later.

The City of Van Wert did have one positive to report, with Mayor Don Farmer announcing that the city was able to purchase an additional 100 tons of salt to replace dwindling supplies that had forced the city to curtail the use of salt except on heavily traveled streets and at intersections.

The mayor said the city purchased the salt from the Ohio Department of Transportation, which has reported having adequate salt supplies for the winter, although ODOT officials also noted they plant to purchase 210,000 additional tons, some of which will be available for purchase by communities such as Van Wert that have dwindling supplies.

In Paulding County, Sheriff Jason Landers lifted a Level 2 road advisory for that county. Noting that lifting the advisory doesn’t mean all Paulding County roads are in the best condition, the sheriff cautioned motorists to drive carefully, since some roads remain snow covered and icy, particularly at intersections, on curves and wind-obstructed portions.

Meanwhile, McCoy is predicting that a arctic clipper will hit the area over the weekend, bringing another 1-2 inches of snow. Temperatures have also dropped, with a low of 2 degrees – and a wind-chill of -11 – forecast overnight Wednesday. Today’s high temperature is expected to be 12 degrees, with wind-chills of between -2 and -10, while a low of -6 degrees, with wind-chills of -18 degrees, are expected tonight.

On Friday, highs are expected to be 11, with wind-chills taking that down to -9 degrees, while Friday’s low is predicted as -1, with wind-chills lowering that to 10 below zero.

Saturday should see a slight warm-up, with a high of 18 and a low of 12 that night, while Sunday’s high is predicted to be 19, with a low of 1 above zero Sunday night.

Monday should continue cold, with a high of 13 and a low of -1 Monday night, while Tuesday’s high is expected to be 19, with a low of 5 degrees Tuesday night.