MARSHALL COUNTY – As conditions fluctuate from freezing to flooding, area residents and businesses are feeling the fallout. Several establishments have made the decision to close their doors this past week, with others forced to mitigate different obstacles as the snow moved out and water rolled in.
On Saturday, owners of the Cinderella Motel in Gilbertsville spent much of their day utilizing sump pumps and shovels to try to divert water and remove snow banks that flooded many of the facility’s units.
Motel owner Janine O’Brien and her husband worked for hours to try to get the water damage under control, only to be faced with the ominous threat of numerous piles of mounded snow. Like many areas, with drainage ditches already full, there will be few places left for the runoff to go.
With melting snow meeting freezing temperatures tonight, roadways, walkways and sidewalks are already becoming hazardous.
According to KYTC District Spokesman Keith Todd, the extreme low temperatures forecast for the next few days will severely limit the ability of highway crews to further improve driving conditions.
“Our salt and other ice-fighting chemicals become ineffective below about 18 degrees Fahrenheit,” Todd said. “With lows down to around 10 degrees the next few nights we’re not going to see much improvement in driving conditions until about Wednesday. We’re urging everyone to continue to use caution when they’re out on the road.”
Todd said while high temperatures are not expected to get above freezing until Tuesday, highway crews expect to get some help from partly cloudy skies. “Even with ambient air temperatures expected to remain below freezing in the daylight hours, we should get some help from a bit of sunshine. Even a few hours of sun can warm pavement temperatures to help activate salt and other ice-fighting chemicals,” Todd said.
The District 1 Snow and Ice Team will be evaluating snow clearing efforts and determining what else can be done to improve driving conditions. There is continued concern about water being held on road surfaces by the snow-clogged drainage system, and the potential for that water to re-freeze during the overnight hours.
Motorists are reminded that with lows around 10 degrees over the next couple of nights the opportunity for re-freezing will remain high. Any areas were moisture remains on driving surfaces can create pavement frosting or black ice. The best approach is to slow down and use extra caution, particularly on the morning commute Monday and Tuesday.
Currently, there are several water over the roadway reports for Marshall County including Benton Birmingham Road near the entrance of Hwy 408, Dogtown and Glade Rd. and Milliken Mill Lane.