Fredericktown recovers from record breaking snowfall

Madison County set a new record for two-day snowfall on Jan. 24 and 25 with 14 inches in Fredericktown, according to the National Weather Service.

The snowfall broke the previous two-day event record of 12″ on March 15, 1999, according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Alex Elmore.

He said the snow will be built up for quite a while, with freezing temperatures making it harder to melt. But the first week of February should see some melting with their mid to upper 30s, he said.

The mounds of snow left by all the shoveling could take weeks to melt, depending on how cold it is.

It was enough to close most businesses until around Tuesday, when the roads were clearer. The City of Fredericktown used four snowplows on 12-hour rotating shifts with their high-priority Snow Route first, and side streets second, with most main routes cleared up by Monday, City Clerk Theresa Harbison said.

Harbison said they received calls about business trash not being picked up. Some of the trash cans or dumpsters couldn’t be picked up since they were still buried or covered in snow. Even hired help sometimes forgets or is not told to clean them up.

“Just be sure to shovel your trash cans so they’re reachable and ask who you hired to clear them out,” Harbison advised.

Under an ordinance, it is the owner’s or tenant’s responsibility to clear streets and sidewalks as well.

The Fredericktown and Marquand school districts were closed all week. All the canceled games will have makeup games, Fredericktown High School Athletic Director Joaby Sikes said.

After six days off, the Fredericktown Facebook posted on Monday, February 2: “With warmer temperatures tomorrow, we hope to see everyone back in school on Tuesday.”

Fredericktown even delayed its Homecoming and coronation from Jan. 30 until Feb. 6.

“As of right now, all Homecoming activities will be rescheduled for the week of Feb. 2-6, with the basketball game and coronation on Friday the 6th,” Fredericktown Senior Linda Yang said.

Students took the opportunity to hit the slopes, sledding down the hills at Rotary Park.

Fredericktown schools are out until roads are safe, Superintendent Shannon Henson said, but it could be hard to estimate an actual date.

“This is a doozy of a storm,” he said.

“It’s not necessarily about buses, it’s about 16-year-olds driving for the first time,” Henson said.

Even when the highways are cleared, many students are still stuck on county roads that still need to be shoveled. The school used its own maintenance crew to clear its sidewalks at its buildings throughout town.

Henson said the central staff, and he calls parents, message bus drivers for photos of roads, and sometimes travels over 150 miles to check on students’ property for snow conditions. The school sometimes decides to open even if only a handful of students are still stuck. As long as the teachers know, students are excused.

Madison County Road and Bridge Supervisor Shannon Spain said he’s also received lots of calls to clear roads. He said to have patience, since there are 400 miles of road to take care of, 150 of which are blacktop and only 8 employees to clear them out.

Elsewhere in town, City Administrator James Settle said his snow plows were working most of the week. They focused on the snow route first.

Mayor Travis Parker acknowledged a civilian’s complaint about snow and visited their location. He said the city crew had already addressed it by then.

“We received a record 14.5″ snowfall, and with all of that, we had to use equipment to remove many of the huge piles,” Parker said. “It takes time, so thank you to all the people who have continued to be patient.”

Elmore said this week, Tuesday in particular, could bring either snow or ice. He said to take caution and plan ahead.

“Keep an eye on the forecast for ice,” Elmore said. “A lot of work and school is going on. Pay attention and watch for changes in the forecast.”

It could very well mean another day off for school, and another delayed game.