Temperatures plummeted below freezing last Wednesday afternoon, turning the rain to sleet and causing ice buildup on roadways, driveways and sidewalks in Jackson and the surrounding area.
City officials issued a snow route proclamation at 3 p.m. Wednesday. That gave residents 24 hours to move vehicles off designated snow routes to allow city crews to plow the entire width of the roadway. (The proclamation was lifted Monday morning.)
Many businesses and offices closed early Wednesday, allowing employees to head home before travel became dangerous.
County offices closed at 1 p.m. Wednesday and remained closed until Monday. State offices, including the courts, closed Thursday and Friday.
Wednesday’s freezing rain turned to snow and continued to fall overnight and all day Thursday. Approximately two inches of snow accumulated over a layer of ice.
Street crews worked valiantly around the clock to keep roads passable, plowing snow, spraying chemicals and dumping salt or cinders.
“We’re cutting as much ice and snow as quickly as we can,” Public Works Director Kent Peetz said on Thursday. “Although good strides have been made in clearing streets, plowing remains a difficult task. Plowing in some areas of the city has not been easy as some streets are still covered, and it’s been a real challenge for the Street Department.”
The primary focus of Jackson’s street crews was to keep the city’s snow routes clear.
The Sanitation Department in Jackson continued to runon schedule with no changes in the residential trash collection routes.
Although power outages were anticipated if ice built up on power lines, but that didn’t happen. There were no reports of power outages to any homes, businesses and other structures have been reported in Jackson and City services have been largely unaffected by the storm event. All departments are up and running with normal, uninterrupted service.
