With rain moving into the Mountain State on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022 expected to turn to snow overnight, West Virginia Division of Highways snow removal and ice control crews in all 55 counties are preparing to work around the clock for another round of winter weather.
“This time of year, we mount our plows on our trucks and keep them mounted,” said Joe Pack, P.E., WVDOH Deputy State Highway Engineer for Division Operations. “We stay ready every day.
“Our plows are mounted, we’ve replenished salt supplies and our crews are ready to tackle another storm.”
The National Weather Service predicted rain changing over to snow overnight on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022, and Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, bringing icy conditions for the morning commute. Up to three inches of snow was forecast for Wayne, Cabell, Mingo, Lincoln, Boone, Kanawha, Putnam, Mason, Jackson, Roane, Wirt, and Ritchie counties.
Less snow was forecast in the rest of the state, but conditions were expected to be icy for the morning commute.
When it snows, keeping interstates and high traffic expressways clear is the DOH’s top priority. The DOH has snowplows in every county dedicated to keeping specific stretches of interstate clear. The West Virginia Turnpike also has dozens of snowplows assigned to keeping the Turnpike clear.
Counties also have snow removal and ice clearance plans in place, with two-lane roads connecting communities, school bus routes, and roads to hospitals and doctors’ office receiving top priority. On the county level, snowplow drivers are responsible for a specific stretch of highway.
DOH road crews cleared snow that swept through the Mountain State on Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022, and Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. More than 12 inches of snow fell in the mountains of Pocahontas, Pendleton, Randolph and Tucker counties, but crews were out in all parts of the state clearing roads.
Central portions of the state, include Roane and Harrison counties, also saw heavy snowfall, with portions of Roane receiving 10 inches. High winds led to drifting snow in the mountains and other parts of the state.
