With plenty of notice, the season's first major snow storm was nothing to unnerve PennDOT crews in Warren County.
Winter Storm Euclid devastated much of the eastern half of the country this holiday season, but was of no major concern to Warren-based PennDOT crews.
"I don't know that there's anything special we need to do to prepare for this," said Wes Hess, PennDOT District 1-6 Maintenance Manager. "We're expecting the storm to hit shortly after noon and we'll have all the trucks out there," he said Wednesday morning.
Article Photos
Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry
Winter wonderland
Priscilla Skarada of Warren and her grandson, Thomas King, walk along Second Avenue at the beginning of Wednesday’s snowstorm.
To ready the trucks for the snowfall that is expected to leave 3-5 inches of snow along with nearly a tenth of an inch of ice, crews have been checking plows, spreaders and lights to ensure the trucks are fully operational. Parts of Pennsylvania have been told to prepare for up to ten inches of snow and heavy icing which could leave many without power.
Storms have already torn through much of the Midwest, leaving more than 215,000 people without power on Wednesday, according to power companies.
With a winter weather watch issued for the area, Hess advised people to watch the news and be aware of the conditions. "There's no way for the roads to be clear at all times, so drive accordingly," he added noting that residents may be asked not to drive due to the conditions.
When all is said and done, Euclid will have worked its way from California's Sierra all the way to New England, dropping snow on parts of the country that normally don't experience a truly white Christmas. Winter storm conditions have been responsible for two deaths so far, one in Texas and one in Oklahoma, both on Christmas day.