The Ohio Valley has been subjected to an extreme arctic blast of cold temperatures along with as much as 12 inches of snow. Much of the top layer of snow was frozen solid after wet sleet fell on the snow pack. Long range predictions for February indicate a below normal temperature range.

The area roads in both Wetzel and Tyler Counties were for much of Sunday snow covered. WV State Road trucks work most of the weekend covering the roads with brine and salt to prepare for the coming blast. By Sunday evening it was evident their efforts to pre-salt road ways had made a difference in road conditions. Still, with all their efforts, some spots were covered in black ice sending drivers steering for safety.

On Saturday local stores were filled with shoppers scrambling to find supplies to get through the cold snap. Staples such as water, bread, milk were stripped from the shelves. Soups and packaged food that could be easily prepared were also running low at most locations. Snow shovels and salt were in short supply if they were found.

Many businesses closed and schools were closed due to the snow and extreme cold. The regularly scheduled Wetzel Board of Education meeting scheduled for the 27th was also delayed due to extremely low temperatures when the sun set.

With the wind taken into account, thermometers plummeted into the subfreezing zones as low as -16 in areas around the county. County residences and property became a concern for EMS services. These conditions bring problems that often bring down power lines, stalled cars and freeze water lines.

On Monday a structure fire was reported on Nolte Lane in St. Joseph Settlement. It was a Marshall County call, but Grandview, Silverhill, New Martinsville and Wileyville Fire departments from Wetzel County responded to assist. The structure at Roseland Resort is off Proctor Road, resulting in a major property loss as reported by Director Steve Yoho. No injuries were reported.

Yoho also reported, he checked with the Mon Power Outage site, and it has shown only one customer out of power for Wetzel County. Pine Grove reported some minor water issues at this time. However, city officials are monitoring the water intakes from the creek. They are working to establish a plan in the event of the intake freezing.

Tom Cooper EMS Director in Tyler County has reported that so far, no major events or emergency calls have been reported. He advised that the main roads are mostly clear, but there are some isolated spots where ice may have formed on the roads. Secondary roads are passable, but be cautious before venturing onto them.

Fishing and Middle Island Creeks quickly froze over. This freeze can sometimes give the illusion the ice is safe to venture onto. That assumption can result in cold water rescues. On the Ohio River packed ice quickly formed and began creating problems for the Hannibal Locks and Dam. River traffic broke through packed ice in front of the barges. When packed ice pushes into lock chambers it can create a challenging situation for the lock employees to prevent the ice packing against the lock’s wall and gate. In temperatures as low as -10 degrees at night, the ice can freeze quickly.

In the downtowns of New Martinsville, Paden City, Middlebourne and Sistersville, city snow crews cleared snow from roadways creating piles as high as six feet. Alongside many streets, deep snow prevented cars from being able to move out onto the road ways.

Steve Yoho would like to remind everyone, that with the extreme cold temps we are seeing, no to spend any more time outside than necessary during the coldest periods, frostbite can happen quickly, check on your elderly neighbors and family to make sure they are doing OK with the cold, and bring outdoor pets in from the cold or give them somewhere warm to get into out of the cold.