Too much snow

Josiah Garber

A lone car braves the snow and ice after the snow storm this past Tuesday. While some cars were able to escape from their parking spots, other cars were stuck in their driveways; some cars parked on the road were partially covered in snow as local snow plows pushed snow to the sides of the street.

This year's above-average snowfall is pushing Harrisonburg's snow removal crews to their limit.

Public Works employees worked around the clock to remove snow and ice from city streets. The snowfall came on the heels of last week's storm that halted activity around the area, including delayed starts at EMU.

This year's snowfall has already exceeded average levels. The National Weather Service reported that 6.5 inches of snow fell on Tuesday.

The record snowfall has placed a large burden on the Public Works budget. The $175,000 budget for snow removal has already been spent. According to the Daily News Record, snow removal for last week's storm cost $71,352.

"We're going to continue to get snow off the streets," said Public Works Street Superintendent Ken Knight.

The first priority is snow removal; the department would not compromise snow removal for lack of money. Public Works Director Jim Baker said that he would request an additional $200,000 for snow removal from the City Council.

Harrisonburg Public Works operates 23 to 25 snow removal vehicles. During snowstorms they operate 24 hours a day on 12-hour shifts.

The main concern is maintaining routes for emergency. The snow trucks run on a primary route system and focus on clearing 64% of the city's 290 lane miles.

Once the snow or precipitation has stopped, the plows will turn to the remainder of the city roads. Under the primary road system, the majority of city residents will have to travel less than two blocks to access plowed roads.

However, the job is not done once the roads are clear. "We're kept busy," said Knight. Trucks and equipment must be cleaned and maintenance work performed. The snowplows may have little time to rest as more winter precipitation is expected in the next few days.