WINTER BIDS NASTY FAREWELL
Region cleans up after historic blizzard
The Capital Region slowly came back to life Wednesday after being pounded by the largest winter storm in more than a decade, but officials are hopeful life will return to normal before spring arrives.
As people began digging out from a nor’easter that dumped as much as 27 inches of snow on the area, high winds and unseasonable cold continued to make their task slow and difficult Wednesday. Many area municipalities were just starting to get main arteries cleared during the day, while many secondary streets remained clogged as stranded drivers tried to dig out their vehicles.
The National Weather Service in Albany reported snowfall totals as of Wednes-
day morning ranging from 17.5 inches in Malta and 18.5 inches in Wynantskill to 25.5 inches in Averill Park and 27.2 inches in Lake Desolation, with additional accumulations ranging from a dusting to 4 inches expected Wednesday. The 17 inches measured at the weather service office marked the largest local storm since a Valentine’s Day blizzard dumped just under 17 inches in 2007.
Municipalities throughout the region declared snow emergencies Tuesday and Wednesday to help with snow removal, but were hampered as some people abandoned their vehicles on streets where they became stuck, while others left them buried in parking spots.
Travel Tuesday came to a relative standstill, as buses were delayed and flights cancelled. More than 50 flights were scheduled to depart Tuesday and Wednesday from ALbany International Airport, and while flights were expected to run as scheduled by Wednesday afternoon, the airport and participating airlines now face the challenge of finding seats for those whose flights were cancelled, according to airport spokesman Doug Myers.
Many aircrafts leaving Wednesday, Thursday and over the weekend are already booked, he said.
“Finding seats for them will be a task,” said Myers, “but the airlines are making every effort to rebook those people.”
The Capital District Transportation Authority continued to run on a regular schedule Tuesday and Wednesday, but had to curtail some service Tuesday as road conditions worstened and several buses became stuck after pulling over for emergency vehicles, according to CDTA spokeswoman Jaime Watson.
“It was obviously delayed and slow-going, but we ran services as best we could,” Watson said.
Though ridership was significantly lower than normal, Watson said maintaining some service was important for people who couldn’t take a day off from work, such as health-care workers, first responders and plow operators.
The city of Troy, which saw about 19 inches of snow, was set to enact a snow emergency at 8 a.m. Thursday to allow crews to clear side streets that remained snow-covered and treacherous Wednesday for both vehicles and pedestrians. During the first 24 hours, parking will be prohibited on the odd-numbered side of designated snow emergency streets, unless otherwise posted. Beginning at 8 a.m. Friday, parking will be prohibited on the evennumbered sides of those streets. Vehicles in violation of these guidelines will be ticketed and towed.
“The historic snowfall experienced across the Capital Region this week requires additional snow removal operations to ensure passable city roadways for our residents, Troy public safety officials and municipal vehicles,” Mayor Patrick Madden said Wednesday in a statement. “Patience and full cooperation from our residents and local businesses will greatly assist our Public Works, Public Utilities and contracted crews to clear city streets of snow during the designated snow mmergency period.”
Several other municipalities continued snow emergencies, though some cancelled parking restrictions Wednesday after clearing streets. Saratoga County officials were optimistic about road conditions, crediting drivers for making the monumental task of plowing less hazardous for crews.
“I think everyone has taken our advice to stay off the roads,” said Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo.
Despite having to deal with a pair of structure fires Tuesday afternoon, crews were able to clear almost all county roads by Wednesday afternoon. The Saratoga County Department of Public Works also assisted the village of Ballston Spa, which was left without a few of its own plows during the worst of the storm.
“Now, we’re just following areas with snow drift,” said Keith Manz, the county’s DPW commissioner. “Things should be back to normal by Thursday night.”
The speed with which municipalities are able to clear streets is dependent on how cooperative residents are, Cohoes Mayor Shawn Morse observed.
“We keep our fingers crossed that people are compliant with the parking rules,” said Morse. “The community was really incredibly responsive to us.”
The city towed about 25 cars during the storm Tuesday, and Morse expected plowing to be finished by 7 p.m. Wednesday. Morse said he and other city employees worked 16-hour shifts Tuesday night, spending hours helping residents get their cars out from beneath the snow.
“We all took pride,” Morse said. “We put our boots on and helped the residents.”
Watervliet Mayor Mike Manning also stressed the importance of abiding by the rules to ensure plowing is done as quickly and smoothly as possible.
“If they need assistance, they can call, whether it be the elderly or disabled,” said Manning, who postponed Thursday’s scheduled City Council meeting because of a snow emergency there that begins at 7 a.m. Thursday and continues until streets are cleared.
Officials also advised residents to shovel their sidewalks, not to shovel or plow snow back into the road, clear any nearby fire hydrants and ensure children are not playing in snowbanks near the road.
Most area school districts gave children a second day off to allow plows more time to clear roads before sending out buses. Despite the difficult driving conditions, area police agencies reported only minor accidents Tuesday and Wednesday.
The first official day of spring may be Monday, but wintry weather will continue into next week, with snow likely again Saturday and Sunday, though forecasters expect only minor accumulations. Meanwhile, temperatures are expected to top out in the upper 30s and low 40s over the weekend, with overnight lows in the teens to lower 20s.