Originally Posted - February 16, 2007

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The groundhog lied.

He said there was going to be an early spring.

Not in New York State where DPW crews and residents were trying to dig out and deal with the aftermath of one the century's worst snow storms which dumped between 30 and 40 inches of the white stuff in many areas of upstate and western New York.

The National Guard was deployed Tuesday to the Oswego County area of the state where lake-effect snows off Lake Ontario racked up more than 11 feet of snow in many places and the Nor'easter of Wednesday dumped another foot of snow on them.

In some locations, houses were literally buried in snow with wind drifts blowing snow over the roofs. Some buildings collapsed under the weight of the snow.

National Guardsmen are helping to plow roads and remove snow piles.

And that's a problem statewide---where to put the snow.

In northern Warren County, the snow was simply too much for snow plow operators with pickup trucks and even at times, a challenge for heavy equipment operators with front end loaders and heavier trucks. The biggest challenge for operators trying to clear driveways was getting past the scraper bank of snow plowed by road crews, hard packed snow up to five feet high.

Many schools remained closed but are now out of snow days. If they're forced to close school the rest of the season, they will have to do so at a loss of state aid.

Prior to the Nor'easter which gave them another 10 to 12 inches of snow, 141 inches of snow had fallen in the Town of Redfield. Other snowfall totals in Oswego County totaled 121 inches in Parish and 106 inches in Mexico. In adjacent Lewis County, Osceola recorded 106 inches. The city of Oswego was buried under 85 inches.

Several deaths were attributed to the storm in northern New York including a tractor trailer driver whose rig slid off the Adirondack Northway in Essex County. He suffered a heart attack trying to wade through waist deep snow to get help.

A Johnsburg man, 57-year-old Joseph Monroe, collapsed and died while shoveling his driveway. Hospitals and health care centers treated numerous storm related injuries.

Three Mayfield snowmobilers became stranded Wednesday afternoon in Fulton County at the height of the storm, abandoning their machines about 10 miles into a trail and trying to walk back out. Bill Brink, 58, a veteran snowmobiler; his son, Bradley, 34 and Bradley's 12-year old nephew Jake Palmer were forced to abandon their effort and found a wind break where they spent the night. They were able to build a fire Thursday morning and rescuers found them about 8 a.m.

Winds gusting up to 30 to 40 mph with sub-zero and single digit air temperatures created a dangerous wind chill and intensified already hazardous road conditions with whiteouts and drifting snow filling in highways. Road crews struggled to keep the main roads open and many side streets were still virtually impassable as of Friday morning due to parked cars and cars left abandoned alongside the road.

Temperatures rose into the 20s Friday in early morning sunshine turning to a cloudy afternoon. Another cold night was expected Friday with a slight moderation for the weekend but another cold front was expected to come through Sunday night sending temperatures back down below zero both Sunday and Monday nights. Frequent wind gusts made it feel below zero.

The National Weather Service issued a warning that the combination of localized blowing snow across wet roads could produce black ice, especially after sunset. The road surface will likely appear wet as the snow covers the ice but could make for some very slick spots. The most likely place to encounter black ice is on bridges, overpasses and roads between open fields.

Many areas in northern New York, especially Essex County where the Northway was shut down between Exit 28 and 33 Wednesday night into Thursday morning were still under a state of emergency through noon Friday, asking people to avoid all unnecessary travel.

In the Adirondacks, snowfall totals ranged from 35 inches in Indian Lake to 31 in Glens Falls and Queensbury, 32 in Lake Luzerne. Albany registered an official 15 inches but many areas in the Capital District saw 20 inches or more fall.

Towns in the Mohawk Valley reported up to 42 inches.

There was widespread discontent with snow removal efforts, especially in Albany and Schenectady where entire streets were still unplowed as of Friday morning. Many drivers failed to respond to the snow emergency conditions of moving their vehicles and found them towed, having to pay not only the tow bill but a parking fine too.

Gov. Eliot Spitzer has asked President Bush to declare a federal emergency for the counties of Oswego, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida and Onondaga to support the extraordinary actions taken by State and local governments to clear roads and battle the record amount of lake-effect snows that have fallen since Feb. 2.

"With more than 11 feet of snow on the ground in Oswego County alone, federal assistance is needed because this seemingly never-ending snowfall has severely strained State and local resources.

"Upstate New Yorkers have braved the snow with poise, determination, and even a little humor, but now the federal government must step up to help everyone dig out," said U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer. "The requested aid will go a long way to help these communities get back on their feet and clean up snow, debris and any damage."

"The Nation has watched with amazement the scenes of a snowstorm that dropped more than 10 feet in Central New York in just a few days," said U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton. "I, like many others, have been monitoring the situation very closely since it began and working closely with Governor Spitzer's office as well as with local leaders. The jurisdictions in the counties affected have done their best to deal with the historic snowfall but clearly they need help from the federal government. I wholeheartedly support the Governor's request for a disaster declaration and I urge FEMA and the President to promptly approve this request."

"With near record-breaking snowfall over the last two weeks, residents in Oswego County and surrounding communities are in desperate need of federal support as they try to dig out and return to a normal daily life," said Congressman John M. McHugh. "I am urging President Bush to act quickly in issuing a federal emergency declaration, which will help offset some of the significant costs the region has incurred in trying to deal with these storms."

Under a federal emergency declaration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency would provide reimbursement to local and State agencies for 75 percent of the total eligible costs for snow removal including equipment, contracts and personnel overtime related to emergency services. A federal declaration would also provide access to emergency response resources from the federal government.

On Tuesday, the Governor activated elements of the New York State Army National Guard to support the Transportation Infrastructure Group led by NYSDOT which is overseeing the massive snow removal operations in Oswego County.

More than 100 National Guardsmen are on duty, joining the more than 180 NYSDOT personnel committed to the Oswego County operation alone.

On Feb. 8, Governor Spitzer declared a State Disaster Emergency for Oswego County and contiguous areas that have been battered by lake-effect snows since Feb. 2 and disrupted vital public transportation, public health and public safety systems there. As part of his executive order, the Governor directed the implementation of the State Disaster Preparedness Plan and ordered State Agencies to provide all assistance possible to local governments there.

In addition to NYSDOT and the National Guard, crews from the Department of Correctional Services have been assisting in shoveling out hundreds of fire hydrants. State Police have been working closely with law enforcement throughout the county on traffic control. Representatives from SEMO, State Police, NYSDOT, and National Guard continue to work in the Oswego County Emergency Operations Center. 2-16-07

© 2007 North Country Gazette