Although the forecast confidence is still uncertain for this coming weekend, the Town of Southampton is monitoring and preparing for the possibility of more snow.
The Southampton Town Highway Department manages and maintains more than 450 miles of roadway within the Town of Southampton. “We have a lot of mileage of roadway to clear and snow to move when a winter storm hits. Our dedicated crews work tirelessly to try to keep the roadways as safe and open as possible for the residents of the Town,” said Highway Superintendent Charlie McArdle. “We anticipated the salt use from this last storm and have already restocked due to pre-scheduled deliveries. We are also making sure all of our equipment is ready to go,” McArdle said.
The National Weather Service has indicated that there is about a 50% chance of snow again this coming weekend with the arrival of another coastal storm system. Currently the likelihood of seeing snow again would be late Saturday and Sunday. Some forecasts are indicating that we could get another 5 inches or so. “We regularly monitor weather forecasts in the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Management,” said Town Emergency Manager, Ryan Murphy. “Unfortunately, there has been a lot to monitor in the last few weeks as nature seems to be making up for the last few years of relatively calm winters,” Murphy said.
In the days following the storm, there has still been ongoing cleanup activities occurring. There have been many calls from residents concerned with the placement of snow near street corners and other key locations by neighbors. High piled snow in areas can reduce visibility and cause hazardous conditions. All residents and businesses are urged to make sure they are not pushing snow into the roadways or piling it in such a way that it may cause traffic hazards.
Deputy Highway Superintendent Marc Braeger also provided some advice for residents in saying, “Our crews will make multiple passes during a storm, especially one as big as what we experienced this past weekend. Consider waiting until later in the storm to shovel the end of the driveway if you know you don’t have to be anywhere. We hate to see people frustrated when the plow comes by after they have shoveled, so if you wait, your work won’t be undone so quickly by our efforts to clear the roads.”
If we have snow again this weekend, all residents are once again urged to stay off the roads make sure vehicles are out of the roadways, and avoid travelling during any snow. Residents are also encouraged to sign up for Town weather and emergency alerts via Notify Me on the Town’s website, as well as to stay tuned to the Town’s social media for updates, information and winter weather tips.
