County Dodges Snow Threat, Cold Causes Minor Problems
Emilee Moser, 11, scraped up enough snow to make a small snowman on her front walk on South Main. For a complete story on the weather, see page A14. – Photo by Jack Gurner
At Enid Lake, the outlet structure became encrusted with ice providing a rarely seen view for visitors. – Photo by Jessie Gurner
Snow is not often seen sittin’ on Mississippi like it is on this state shaped bird house in the yard of Paul and Charlotte Parker on Dupuy Street.
Even though it was light, the snow partially covered things around town like a bench in Railroad Park (above) and a boat (below) parked in the ally west of Main Street.
By Jack Gurner
Reporter
YALOBUSHA – We’re having a heat wave. At least that’s what it will feel like as temperatures rise into the 50’s.
Last week’s predictions of up to two inches of snow didn’t materialize. But, there were still plenty of problems associated with the trace of frozen precipitation and the extremely cold weather.
Overnight last Wednesday a mixture of freezing rain, sleet, and snow fell across the area and by Thursday morning a dusting of snow was visible on rooftops and lawns.
Crews from the city and county had already been at work putting crushed limestone on roads and bridges.
Yalobusha officials closed the county offices and the courthouses in Water Valley and Coffeeville.
Board of Supervisors President Amos Sims said they made the call based on the best information available at the time. “We just didn’t know what it was going to do. It could have been really bad.”
With the frozen stuff still falling, school officials made the decision to suspend classes. Youngsters all over the county were out of school and some were on the slopes trying to sled on the light coating of snow.
There was barely enough of the frozen stuff to make a good snowball. But, Emilee Moser, 11, and her Mom, Carol Moser, scraped up enough to make a small snowman on their front walk on South Main.
As skies began to clear Thursday, the extremely low temperatures took center stage. Governor Haley Barbour declared a state of emergency in anticipation of the extreme and prolonged subfreezing temperatures predicted across Mississippi.
City workers found it difficult to work outdoors at the wastewater treatment facility. Electric Department Manager Joe Newman and his crew were working alongside Water Department employees setting light poles.
“There’s nothing between us and the North Pole except a barbed wire fence and someone left the gap down,” Newman commented on the cold north wind.
Depending on whose thermometer you checked, temperatures dropped into the single digits during the early morning hours over the weekend.
At Enid Lake, the outlet structure became encrusted with ice providing a rarely seen view for visitors.
In Coffeeville, Town crews had to deal with frozen water lines, according to Town Clerk Patricia Moody.
Saturday afternoon around 1:30 Oakland firefighters were sent to a residence on Hwy. 51 to check on a possible gas leak. The homeowner said that the gas was going on and off to the heat and there was a strong smell of gas.
Responding units were told to disregard after no danger was found.
Late Saturday night Billy’s Creek Water Association President Larry Sprouse was rousted to deal with what was thought to be a break in the system’s water main. Water was flowing across Hwy 32 and freezing. It turned out to be one of the system’s residential users.
Sprouse, who operates Valley Lumber Company, said that he had to open Sunday because of the unusual cold to provide fittings for broken water pipes. “We had pipes freeze that had never frozen before,” he said, including some “frost-free” faucets.
The latest forecast shows temperatures rising into the 50’s on Friday and not dipping below freezing through early next week.
