The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

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February 7, 2010

Another winter storm hits state; 2 more slated to follow this week

By Robert Barron, Staff Writer Enid News and Eagle

ENID — Get ready, here it comes again.

The Enid area is forecast to receive another heavy snowfall, started Sunday night and is to continue through today, according to Enid Emergency Management Director Mike Honigsberg and the National Weather Service.

“I don’t think the precipitation will start until Sunday evening and overnight we should get two or three inches,” Honigsberg said.

Today the area should receive heavy snowfall, and Honigsberg thinks the area could receive up to 10 inches. The National Weather Service stopped short of predicting that much snow, but Honigsberg said it could be heavy.

“With the moisture we already have here, what is predicted and the heavy bands coming through, we could average at least 10 inches. It could be interesting,” he said.

The heavy snow area will spread as far west as Woodward and Ellis counties and east to Grant, Alfalfa and Kay counties, Honigsberg said. Enid is in the middle of a heavy band, and he said it will be interesting to see how it turns out.

“Then we’re getting another round about mid-week and another by next weekend,” he said. “It’s going to be quite a bit of snow for us, we’re not used to having this kind of snow. We’re actually having winter this year.”

The city of Enid is nearing the end of its storm stockpile, but Public Works Director Jim McClain thinks crews still can get through it.

“We have 200 tons of salt coming in this week, if they can make it, we’re down pretty low,” McClain said. “We’ve pretty well exhausted our supplies. We built some sand back up and we still have a little salt.”

McClain said crews could handle the snowfall like it has been done the past three years, by using a lot of sand, which gives drivers a grip on the roadway. A small amount of salt will help to loosen the snow when weather warms up.

Graders, trucks and sand-ers are operational and ready, and there are 12 city crew members on standby to get through the night. After that the city will move into storm mode with crews working shifts of 12 hours on and 12 hours off.

“The weather has taken its toll this year and we will have to look at some equipment in the next budget year,” he said.

McClain said Enid was fortunate during the last snow event it did not receive more ice. Crews can handle snow much easier.

“If we get six inches we can handle it. If we get 10 inches it will strain us a little,” McClain said.

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