Daily Newsletters
Account
Washington Evening Journal
111 North Marion Avenue
Washington, IA 52353
319-653-2191
DIGGING OUT
The storm came later than expected and did not deliver the high snow totals that were predicted. Still area residents had a lot of snow to clear from driveways, sidewalks and roadways on Tuesday.
WASHINGTON
For Washington residents, Tuesday morning and afternoon were filled with snow removal.
Around town, residents were clearing up the 5.2 inches Washington received over night. At 11 a.m., four neighbors on West Main Street were out with snowblowers and shovels. Various other streets in town looked similar.
The Washington Street Department has seven plows and two inloaders. Maintenance Director JJ Bell said the snow plows did the first round at 6 p.m. Monday night. At that time, he said there was around an inch or two. The nine employees finished between 10 p.m. and midnight. At 4 a.m., the crew was out again clearing the streets.
Bell said the snow was easy to plow because it was all powder, unlike the last snowstorm.
By 9 a.m. on Tuesday, all of the roads were cleared and maintenance crews were working to clear alleys, Bell said.
When clearing snow, Bell said around 70 percent of the cars that usually park on the street were gone.
'It was really nice,” he said. 'It makes it a lot easier.”
FairfielD
Fairfield was buried in 6 inches of snow Monday night and into Tuesday morning. Some residents got up bright and early to clear their sidewalks and driveway, while others went at a more leisurely pace and cleared the snow in the afternoon.
Some people used the occasion to enjoy the great outdoors. Friends Tyler Cowan and Chris Iserman met at Chautauqua Park in Fairfield that afternoon to play disc golf on the 18-hole course. They said it was probably the deepest snow they have ever played in. To ensure he could find his disks buried beneath the snow, Cowan secured colorful ribbons to his disks.
Henry County
Tuesday morning the Henry County Board of Supervisors heard about the road department's efforts to clear snow from roads after the Monday snowstorm.
Henry County Engineering and Road Department sent out trucks Tuesday at 5 a.m. to clear off the overnight snow.
'We are currently running eight routes full-time and added our spare blade to make nine motor graders,” County Engineer Jake Hotchkiss said. 'We plan on staying out till 5 p.m. with the blades, and with the wind that we're fighting, the trucks will probably stay out until 5 p.m. as well.
'For Wednesday morning, we'll send out the blades the same, but depending on the wind, we'll have to watch and see for the trucks,” he said.
A man worked to clear drifts of snow on the corner of South Marion Avenue and West Jefferson Street in Washington on Monday. (Caitlin Yamada/ The Union)
The Carmichaels cleared snow from their driveway and sidewalks with a snowblower and a shovel. Jerry Carmichael made quick work of the remaining sidewalk snow. (Caitlin Yamada/ The Union)
With school out for the day, 9-year-old Logan Hoback helped his neighbor clear snow from her sidewalks. (Caitlin Yamada/ The Union)
The duo of Scott Bowermaster, left, and his son Alex cleared their driveway in Fairfield after Monday night's snowstorm that dropped 6 inches on the town. (Andy Hallman/The Union)
Judy Young cut through the 5 inches of snow on her sidewalk with a snowblower Tuesday afternoon. (Caitlin Yamada/ The Union)
Chris Iserman, left, and Tyler Cowan play disc golf at Chautauqua Park in Fairfield on Tuesday afternoon. Iserman and Cowan said it was probably the deepest snow they've ever played in. (Andy Hallman/The Union)
A city of Fairfield tractor traveled around town Monday clearing paths in the downtown and at other city-owned properties. (Andy Hallman/The Union)
A snow plows clears snow from a street in Mt. Pleasant
Mt. Pleasant resident Tyler Aplara was cleaning the snow from his truck Tuesday morning.
Michael Kelley cleared the snow from the bottom of his driveway Tuesday afternoon. (Caitlin Yamada/ The Union)
