Weather forecasters are saying snow is likely this weekend. City staff is prepping to respond, and residents should take precautions as well, including moving vehicles off the streets if it does start snowing.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS) Greenville-Spartanburg office, "Confidence continues to increase for a significant winter storm across the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia Saturday afternoon through Sunday night. Please continue to monitor the forecast for this system. Much of the area is in an elevated/significant risk for snow/sleet/freezing rain."
City Streets
Public Works Department staff is prepping equipment to clear roads if needed.
"All plows are being installed on trucks today and we plan on pretreating problem areas Saturday if no rain precedes the snow," Public Works Director Jared Wright said. "All employees involved in snow removal are prepared to report for duty when necessary."
Following are some details about how plowing will proceed if it does snow:
- Plowing will be conducted primarily during daylight hours, approximately 6:00 am to 6:00 pm.
- Plow crews will be working in each quadrant of the City simultaneously once work begins.
- Major City streets and thoroughfares will be completed prior to neighborhood streets, dead-ends, etc.
- City staff will not plow NCDOT roads in the City limits, such as US 321 and US 64.
- Depending on the amount of snow, plowing operations may take longer than one day to complete.
"If it does start snowing, we ask all residents to please move any vehicles off the streets if at all possible," Wright said. "It's much more difficult and sometimes impossible for snow plows to pass if vehicles are parked on the roads."
City Code prohibits on-street parking on some streets during snow events. Cars parked on the following streets during a snow event may be towed at the owner’s expense. (Sec. 102.A – Parking)
- Prospect Street from Willow Street to Montclair Circle
- Link Place from Montclair Drive to the end
- Drum Circle from Norwood Street to Norwood Street
- Vance Street from Willow Street to N. Main Street
- Robbins Avenue from Vance Street to the end
- Center Street from Stage Street to Robbins Avenue
- Poplar Street from Virginia Street to Poplar Street Apartments
- Westman Street from College Avenue to the end
- Conley Place from N. Main Street to the end
- Lee Place from Ronquil Park to the end
If snow and ice does accumulate on roads, residents should avoid driving if possible. Anyone who does need to travel should bring an emergency bag in their vehicle that includes water, food, blankets, etc., in case they get stranded.
Driveways
The following suggestions are intended to make removing snow from your driveway easier and safer:
- If possible, wait until your street has been plowed before clearing the last five to 10 feet of your driveway. There is no practical way to plow city streets without pushing snow into your driveway. Please understand that the City cannot go back and shovel or plow out the end of any private driveway.
- Do not shovel, blow, or plow snow from your driveway into or across a street. Snow can impeded the street, causes a serious traffic hazard, and possibly interfere with emergency response vehicles. It is best to shovel snow to the side of your driveway opposite of the direction from which the snowplow is coming.
Power Outages
If the region receives significant snow, it’s very likely that trees will fall and take out power lines. City staff does not and will not clear trees or limbs off of power lines. Clearing trees and limbs from power lines is the responsibility of the local power companies. Residents who lose power can report outages to the following numbers.
Stay away from power lines that have fallen or are sagging. Consider all lines energized as well as trees, limbs or anything in contact with lines. If a power line falls across a car that you're in, stay in the car and call 911. If you MUST get out of the car due to a fire or other immediate life-threatening situation, do your best to jump clear of the car and land on both feet. Be sure that no part of your body is touching the car when your feet touch the ground.
Trees Across Roads
City staff will remove trees from roads when possible. If a tree is blocking a road, residents can call 911 to report the location. City of Lenoir Firefighters are trained and equipped to clear trees from roads and open lanes to ensure emergency vehicles can access all residents and businesses in the City. Public Works and other departments can also assist in clearing roads if needed.
Trash Pickup
Due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday Monday, the Sanitation Division was already scheduled to collect Monday’s route on Wednesday. Staff anticipates normal operations Tuesday and the rest of the week.
ReadyNC
ReadyNC is a reference website sponsored by North Carolina Emergency Management, NC Department of Public Safety, and NC Citizen Corps. The website provides news, alerts, and preparedness information for severe weather, disaster situations, and more.
Click the following link to read ReadyNC Winter Weather preparedness and response tips.
The ReadyNC website is www.readync.gov.
