Greene County bracing for another harsh winter
Last winter, temperatures dipped into the negative numbers often for residents in southwestern Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, for the second straight year, it could be much of the same for inhabitants of Greene County.
According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the 2014-2015 winter is going to be comparable to last year, causing municipalities in Greene County to brace themselves for another grueling couple of months.
Pennsylvania is located in a region where the almanac is “expecting an active storm track with a number of storms delivering copious amounts of snow and rain.”
The Farmer’s Almanac believes that the entire nation will see below-average temperatures, but areas falling in between the Continental Divide and the Appalachian Mountains could be in store for increasingly dangerous conditions. The almanac is suggesting that there will be around a half-dozen severe snow storms and bone-chilling temperatures throughout the winter months.
The 198-year old publication, which correctly predicted the past nasty winter, is famous for its long-range weather predictions and astronomical data. These predictions are primarily based upon the development of El Nino, a weather pattern that occurs occasionally as the central Pacific Ocean warms due in part to wave patterns, wind patterns and atmospheric pressure.
Knowing the severity of last year’s brutal winter, municipalities all over the area are bracing themselves for a possible repeat.
In Cumberland Township, Supervisor William Groves said the township is taking more precautions after last year’s winter. Groves and his staff use a variety of methods to keep the 68 miles of township roads and almost 15 miles of state roads safe.
“We don’t use a lot of salt,” Groves said. “We only have about 100 tons in stock right now and that’s because we rely on ashes and stone.”
Last winter, the township suffered ash shortages because of delivery issues due to the inclement weather. Groves said that will not be a problem this year because they have more in stock to start the season.
The toughest part for Groves and his crew is the “black ice” that forms on the road.
“It’s that little bit of ice where it rains, then freezes over and can’t be seen,” Groves said. “Handling six inches of snow isn’t a big deal at all.”
Having a heated garage to store the trucks helps during the cold temperatures to make sure all the equipment is running effectively.
“We rotate our trucks, which are kept in a heated garage,” Groves said. “Keeping equipment in good maintenance and rotating your trucks is important.”
Jefferson Township, which has approximately 50 tons of salt in storage now, uses a combination of that salt with ash and anti-skid after plowing their roads. Anti-skid are little chip-like pieces that allow tires to adhere more effectively to the road.
Supervisor Richard Tekavec said the township did not have many difficulties last winter other than lacking salt due to an order delay.
“We were scheduled to get the materials we needed, but were put on hold,” Tekavec said. “Luckily we were able to get what we needed before running out.”
Like other townships in the area, Tekavec acknowledged how vital it is to keep equipment readily available.
“The heated garage stores is very important to protect our equipment,” Tekavec said. “Keeping everything up and going is our number one priority.”
A contract in connection with the state grants enables the township to receive nearly another 100 tons of salt throughout the remainder of the winter.
Things are being done primarily the same in Franklin Township after the success their crew has had over the past few winters.
“We have about 500 tons of salt in storage, which is the amount we normally have going into the winter months,” said T. Reed Kiger, Franklin Township supervisor.
Kiger admits that the hardest thing to deal with during the winter is the freezing temperatures because it then causes for more dangers like snow and ice. However, he credits his staff of seven workers that go above and beyond to make sure the roads are safe.
“We really haven’t had a problem in years past,” Kiger said. “A few small items broke down due to simple wear and tear, but most of our equipment is fairly new. Our staff does an excellent job of keeping everything prepared.”