? for the weather gurus out there

[HurricaneWarning 212]

Well this sure isn't a 2 incher that's cleared up quickly. VDOT themselves, along with everyone else, has had trouble getting around especially with so many stuck on the roads. Remember they've been cut way down in numbers too, going to be even harder for them to keep up especially with bigger snows, and not just clearing snow off the roads but cleaning up the mess this heavy wet snow has created (with downed trees and such)...bad time for this.

 

Exactly. It`s hard for crews to stay on top of it when the snow falls so fast.

[Lance 228]

yeah this has just been a huge mess...I'm pretty critical of the VDOT most of the time, but I just don't see how they could do much more than they are right now...I'm sure they get to it as quickly as they can...last night it was coming down so fast that by the time i got the front of the car cleared off, the back was covered again lol.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

Exactly. It`s hard for crews to stay on top of it when the snow falls so fast.

 

My problem with VDOT isn't as much their effort, as it is their strategy.

 

VDOT's famous for a few things:

1. Either scraping or throwing down salt, when their trucks are fully capable of both.

2. Throwing salt down in 10 degree weather, when salt+water freezes at 23.

3. Over-scraping random roads while barely even touching others.

[Lance 228]

My problem with VDOT isn't as much their effort, as it is their strategy.

 

VDOT's famous for a few things:

1. Either scraping or throwing down salt, when their trucks are fully capable of both.

2. Throwing salt down in 10 degree weather, when salt+water freezes at 23.

3. Over-scraping random roads while barely even touching others.

 

this is true.

 

I don't know how many times I've been going to Exit 7 and its a total mess and pass 3 or 4 salt trucks parked on exit 10 fully loaded just sitting there? Get what I'm after and go back the other way and they are still just sitting there.

[bhs7695 185]

The Mercer County B.O.E. is dumber than I thought, if that's possible. Where in the hell did they get reports from Blacksburg on the hour that showed snow wasn't supposed to start falling until 6 p.m. in Bluefield? Everything I saw for the Bluefield area coming for the NWS in Blacksburg showed it starting around noon and that was when the Winter Storm Warning took effect for the entire area as well. I don't remember seeing any mention of rain for hours before changing over to snow in the region.

 

http://www.bdtonline.com/local/local_story_356193715.html

 

School officials defend decisons made during storm

By CHARLES OWENS

Bluefield Daily Telegraph

 

PRINCETON — School officials in Mercer County are defending their decision not to dismiss students early following the onset of a monster snowstorm.

 

Several parents have questioned in recent days why officials decided to have school on the day that a foot of snow was predicted. When the storm arrived earlier than expected, several school buses were unable to get children home until later in the evening — leaving many parents concerned about the well-being of their children.

 

“What we do is we keep informed on what the weather forecast is,” School Superintendent Dr. Deborah Akers said. “We are able to get that out of Blacksburg. They give us the forecast on an hour-by-hour basis. Friday the forecast was for a very slight chance of precipitation. The storm wasn’t supposed to start snowing until after 6 p.m.”

 

Akers said 21 buses had already been scheduled for field trips on the day in question.

 

“So with the weather forecast of just rain with the snow not supposed to start until the evening or nighttime, we went ahead and had the field trips,” Akers said. “Then the storm came in sooner than what the forecast was (calling for). We still had the buses out on field trips. Most of them (the field trips) were fairly local.”

 

Akers said the snow started around 1:30 p.m., and school was already scheduled to be dismissed at 2:30 p.m.

 

“We got the elementary runs out and they just got slowed down in traffic, and that was one of the biggest issues was traffic slow downs,” she said.

 

As a result, the high school and middle school runs also were late.

 

“We kept the switch board open until the last child arrived home,” Akers said. “We were in radio contact with the schools and the buses during the entire process. I do want to commend our bus operators. They did a tremendous, tremendous job of working together, and keeping us informed and being very patient, and getting the students home safely.”

 

Under normal circumstances, Akers said bus drivers and spotters in the community will communicate during the morning hours with school officials and the Department of Transportation to make a decision on whether roads are safe — particularly if a storm has occurred. However, last week’s storm didn’t arrive until later in the afternoon.

[GMan 3,569]

The Mercer County B.O.E. is dumber than I thought, if that's possible. Where in the hell did they get reports from Blacksburg on the hour that showed snow wasn't supposed to start falling until 6 p.m. in Bluefield? Everything I saw for the Bluefield area coming for the NWS in Blacksburg showed it starting around noon and that was when the Winter Storm Warning took effect for the entire area as well. I don't remember seeing any mention of rain for hours before changing over to snow in the region.

 

Add to that EVERY OTHER SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE AREA had either closed for the day or dismissed earlier than noon. The MCBOE has gotten caught with their pants down and is doing everything possible to cover their a$$es. Hell, all they needed to do was READ THIS MESSAGE BOARD to find out what the weather was going to do! LOL You even copy/pasted in this thread the NWS warning stating the snow was going to start in the early afternoon on Friday.

 

And while we are at it...other than the "real" blizzard we had in 1993, this is the poorest effort I've ever seen from the City of Bluefield in attempting to clear the roads. As of this morning, Washington St. to 460 was still an absolute sheet of ice. My neighborhood is still a complete mess with only one lane somewhat cleared up the center of most streets. If a car is coming the other way, there's nowhere for either vehicle to go. Mayor Whalen and the joke of a City Manager Merryman have really eff'ed this one up too! I guess we've gone so long without a good snow that they all forgot how to clean up the stuff...pathetic is the best way to describe it...

[Deleted Account 5,203]

Add to that EVERY OTHER SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE AREA had either closed for the day or dismissed earlier than noon. The MCBOE has gotten caught with their pants down and is doing everything possible to cover their a$$es. Hell, all they needed to do was READ THIS MESSAGE BOARD to find out what the weather was going to do! LOL You even copy/pasted in this thread the NWS warning stating the snow was going to start in the early afternoon on Friday.

 

And while we are at it...other than the "real" blizzard we had in 1993, this is the poorest effort I've ever seen from the City of Bluefield in attempting to clear the roads. As of this morning, Washington St. to 460 was still an absolute sheet of ice. My neighborhood is still a complete mess with only one lane somewhat cleared up the center of most streets. If a car is coming the other way, there's nowhere for either vehicle to go. Mayor Whalen and the joke of a City Manager Merryman have really eff'ed this one up too! I guess we've gone so long without a good snow that they all forgot how to clean up the stuff...pathetic is the best way to describe it...

 

Here is why the DOTs have done such a crappy job on town/city roads thus far:

1. It's the Christmas travelling week: the DOTs' main, and ONLY focus, were the interstates.

2. The DOTs did nothing short of a miraculous job on getting interstates clear. Perfect conditions there.

3. They hit the interstates with both barrels, leaving little resources for town/city streets.

4. It's supposed to be sunny until Christmas Day, so why not let the sun clear it up...

[bhs7695 185]

Here is why the DOTs have done such a crappy job on town/city roads thus far:

1. It's the Christmas travelling week: the DOTs' main, and ONLY focus, were the interstates.

2. The DOTs did nothing short of a miraculous job on getting interstates clear. Perfect conditions there.

3. They hit the interstates with both barrels, leaving little resources for town/city streets.

4. It's supposed to be sunny until Christmas Day, so why not let the sun clear it up...

 

5. VDOT has had cutbacks to shore up the budget deficit the state is facing. In turn, not as many employees/trucks/service shops working on the roads

[GMan 3,569]

6. The State DOTs do not plow the roads inside the town limits of Bluefield, VA or the city limits of Bluefield, WV...except for State roadways like 460 and 52. The streets in the town of Bluefield, VA were CLEAR on Monday morning. The streets in Bluefield, WV were still snow and ice covered this morning.

 

I was informed a little while ago that a tractor trailer had gone in the ditch this afternoon, four days after the snow storm, on the Washington St. exit off of 460 due to the snow-packed ice that the City of Bluefield had not cleared from the road.

[bigcotton 40]

I live near haysi, on the buchanan-dickenson county line, we haven't had power since friday, waters been out for a few days, and hadn't worked the entire week.

I have to say that this wasn't the biggest snow we've had, but ive seen more power lines and trees down then if a small tornado had come through, and where i live, they say it could be jan. 1st until power is back on........merry christmas..lol.

....im about to go nuts without power....

[wvuraiders 10]

6. The State DOTs do not plow the roads inside the town limits of Bluefield, VA or the city limits of Bluefield, WV...except for State roadways like 460 and 52. The streets in the town of Bluefield, VA were CLEAR on Monday morning. The streets in Bluefield, WV were still snow and ice covered this morning.

 

I was informed a little while ago that a tractor trailer had gone in the ditch this afternoon, four days after the snow storm, on the Washington St. exit off of 460 due to the snow-packed ice that the City of Bluefield had not cleared from the road.

 

my neighborhoodin blfd was the same way....just terrible job of clearing the roads...my wife and i were stuck unitl tuesday...city of blfd layed down salt except they misse the road we live on and threw it on the banks...i threw up my hands at the guy and went inside.