BLIZZARD MARCHES THROUGH THE REGION
Highwinds, heavy snow a sharp contrast from recent record
A week ago, some people were practicing putts at local golf courses where greening fairways pointed toward an early spring.
Now, it’s time to break out the skis again, as Mother Nature packed a late-winter wallop by dumping as much as 2 foot or more of snow on the region Tuesday.
The storm brought nearblizzard conditions Tuesday afternoon as sustained winds topping 30 mph hit the area, making matters worse for highway crews already struggling to keep roads open
as snow fell at rates of as much as 4 inches per hour.
“Visibility and snow drifts are a real challenge with storms like this, plus its sheer duration,” said Keith R. Manz, Saratoga County’s public works commissioner. “Don’t travel unless absolutely necessary, and if you do, drive safely and have the appropriate safety supplies with you.”
Snow emergencies were in effect in communities throughout the region, with a variety of parking restrictions to allow crews to clear snow- clogged streets and highways.
A blizzard warning was set to remain in effect until 4 a.m. today, but both Cohoes Mayor Shawn Morse andWatervliet Police Chief Mark Spain took to Facebook to keep the public informed throughout the day, posting regular live video streams to update residents about the storm and street conditions.
“I just think it’s important for the city of Cohoes to stay in close contact with its residents, and Facebook gives you that great opportunity to go live,” said Morse Tuesday morning after going live on Facebook around 10 a.m. “I go out in the streets several times throughout the day to give an update as to the driving conditions, and the first video we just did showed that the main streets were really in good shape, but our side streets are a little slick.”
“I think Facebook live gives us the ability to put it out there a lot faster than going back to my office to sit and type that information,” Spain added after going on Facebook Live on Tuesday morning. “I like being out there when things are going on so that I can give a firsthand account as to what people are going to see when they hit the streets.”
Schools, municipal offices and many businesses were closed throughout the area, and school closings or delays were expected again Wednesday because of forecasted blowing and drifting snow. Saratoga County sent all non- essential personnel home at noon Tuesday, about 40 minutes after Albany International Airport announced the cancellation of all departing flights, although inbound national and international f lights that had already been diverted to Albany fromother Northeast airports were still possible, along with inflight emergencies.
“We anticipate that airlines servicing Albany will resume some level of service tomorrow,” spokesman Doug Myers said Tuesday. “Information regarding the resumption of air service will be determined as airlines await the end of Winter Storm Stella.”
Area utilities only reported scattered minor outages throughout the day Tuesday, but were prepared for a busy night as high winds were expected to continue into today. Even the U.S. Postal Service was affected by the storm, suspendingmail delivery Tuesday to a majority of Capital Region zip codes.
“We have done this before, but it is very unusual,” said Maureen Marion, a postal service spokeswoman. “We are monitoring conditions and access points. We will resume regular operations as possible.”
CDTA was still running on a normal schedule Tuesday, but some delays were expected.
“As you can imagine, it’s a tall order to keep the buses running out on the roads on a day like today, but it’s important for us and it’s important for the public to know that we’re here 24/7 365, and that’s just how we operate,” said CDTA Communications Manager Jaime Watson . “We have a great crew of operators who are on the roads operating the buses, we have a great crew of maintenance folks, dispatchers and customer service representatives behind the scenes that help keep everything running as smooth as possible.”
Snow began falling about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday and continued at a moderate to heavy rate throughout the day before tapering off during the evening. It was the largest single snowfall since Valentine’s Day 2007, said Jeremy Davis of Glens Falls-based Weather Routing Inc., a global forecasting firm, and reminiscent of the Great Blizzard of 2003, which dumped nearly two feet of snow on President’s Day weekend.
“We haven’t had one like this in quite a while,” he said.
Stella is just the latest chapter in one of the craziest winters — weatherwise — in recent history. Average January temperatures around the region were among the warmest on record, according to the National Weather Service, and thermometers hit 70 degrees during February in many parts of the area.
The new year, 2017, might have come in like a lamb, but winter is apparently going out like a lion, as temperatures are expected to stay below freezing through Friday and only warm slightly over the St. Patrick’s Day Weekend. Of course, that’s good news for Northeast ski resorts that have struggled recently to keep bare spots covered.
“It’s exactly what the doctor ordered for skiing,” Davis said, “and it’s apt to be with us for a while.”