The latest round of winter weather produced a mostly picturesque snow clinging to trees without creating misery for road or emergency crews.
The snow that began piling up Friday night and hung around at some higher elevations into Monday produced no substantial emergency calls, according to Fire Chief Bob Howard.
He said there were a few calls, but it was “quiet, very quiet.” This contrasted sharply to a January snow event, where crews handled numerous wrecks, some with injuries.
Howard said people may have been a little better prepared this go-round and heeded the advice to stay off roads.
Howard said it has been amazingly quiet with fire crews, considering how cold it has been. Firefighters have responded to very few calls in the past several weeks. “Let’s hope it stays that way,” Chief Howard said.
Road Department Superintendent Greg Collis reported Monday the two new snowplows and salt spreaders purchased by the county surprised him with the difference they made.
‘They were excellent,” Collis said after the weekend use. “We’re still learning, but if we can get it to melt, now we can knock it off the roads. We’re a long ways from the impassable roads.”
He said the efficiency of new plows was evident on Sunrise Ridge Road, where the Pickens portion looked infinitely better than the road on the Gilmer side.
Collis said the department has again used most of its supply of calcium chloride and will re-supply this week.
Road conditions also benefited from this last winter storm not hitting as hard as had been predicted. While the Friday weather was worse than the predicted dusting, the two to four inches called for Sunday night fell mostly as rain in all but the highest parts of the county.
“We dodged a good one,” Collis said Monday.
As has been typical of county roads this winter, by
Monday all were in good shape except those near the summit of Burnt Mountain.
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