Winter help curbs weather aggravation

Winter arrived a little later than normal in the Hampton area last weekend.

For the first time this winter, more than two inches of snow fell throughout the area, which triggered snow removal efforts and safety measures by city crews and law enforcement officials.

Friday’s storm didn’t bring heavy winds, whiteout conditions, life-threatening cold and other factors seen in more recent blizzards, but the wet, heavy snow did create unsafe roads, which caused some issues throughout the area. As the snow fell, accident reports and cancellations came through

Unfortunately, not everyone can pause for unsafe weather. Law enforcement officers, emergency responders and many more have to put their safety aside in order to respond to accidents, injuries and other emergencies that take place during snow events. Driving conditions don’t magically improve for those professionals and emergencies aren’t put on hold because the weather is bad. They’re still out on the roads and walking through unfavorable conditions in order to continue to serve our needs.

Additionally, heavier snowfalls require attention no matter the time of day for snow removal crews. Hampton city crews hit the streets shortly after midnight on Saturday morning to ensure that roads were clear and safe for travel the next day. What is typically a weekend evening/morning turned into a full work day, as crews worked until 8 a.m. that morning.

Winter isn’t an easy time on anyone. It creates travel nightmares, leaves a mess on driveways, sidewalks and streets, brings unbearable cold temperatures and causes closures and cancellations without much notice. Not to mention, winter tends to hang on longer than the calendar suggests, with recent snowfalls being recorded as early as October and tiptoeing into May. The final snow melt of the year is truly a time for celebration.

While we’re a long ways off from that celebration, we’re fortunate to live in a community that has professionals in both law enforcement and snow removal who put their safety and comfort aside to make sure ours are well taken care of. It could be a long winter, but thankfully, we have support to get us through.