Snow days craze

Another weekend of snowstorms? Sure, why not.

By early Friday afternoon, Newton was covered in a thick blanket of snow. National Weather Service Meteorologist Jim Lee said the town accumulated roughly 4 inches, which tacked onto last weekend’s snow piles; compared to that snowstorm, this weekend’s snow accumulation was much heavier, Lee said.

Snowfall in Newton measured similarly to the Des Moines metro.

“It seemed like it was pretty uniform across this part of the state,” Lee told Newton Daily News, adding wind played a bigger factor into the snowstorms from this past weekend. Although unsure how much of a factor the wind played into the number of power outages seen throughout the weekend, Lee said it did make travel conditions difficult for Iowans.

“It looks like in this part of the state — again, it wasn’t this speed all day long — the highest wind gusts were generally in the 40-50 mph range — it was pretty windy out there,” Lee said.

Surrounding school districts cancelled classes after recognizing the unfavorable forecasts ahead. Snow was arriving quickly and in high amounts, causing several businesses to close early. Authorities across the state warned drivers that travel was not advised and recommended citizens stay inside if they can help it.

As the storms rolled in Friday morning, the Iowa Department of Transportation regularly updated Iowans with real-time data and maps showcasing the level of snow that had collected onto major highways. Around Newton and Jasper County, roads were completely covered in snow.

Mike Ward, public works operations superintendent for the City of Newton, said crews treated streets with another dosage of brine before the snow arrived into town. Truck drivers pulled 12-hour shifts to remove snow from the streets in town. Seasonal employees also helped with removal operations.

“We actually used chloride with the sand and salt mix on late Saturday morning and afternoon, which we were able to pretty much get our mains down to bare pavement or bare asphalt,” Ward said. “So those roads are in really good shape.”

The Friday snowfall ended with freezing rain, which Ward said might have helped with removal operations since it packed the snow down to the ground and lessened the impact of blowing snow.

“It kind of helped keep it in place so we didn’t have a lot of drifting,” Ward said. “I mean, there were some areas, but not as bad as it could have been. A lot of sidewalks and parking lots and vehicles and windows were all iced up.”

Remnants from last week’s snowstorm did not adversely affect snow plows, Ward said. Everything was “pretty well cleaned up” by the; main roads were practically bare, but some residential streets had a little left over. Pre-treatment, he added, helped with the snow plowing efforts.

Crews began cleanup efforts on Sunday night. Citizens, he said, have been following the snow ordinance very well so far.

“Everything seemed to go well,” he said. “I’m thankful that the residents are understanding the snow ordinance. There was a few cars in the street but not as many as there used to be.”

Call 641-791-SNOW to know if snow removal operations are in effect in Newton.

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com