The latest round of winter weather to hit the Golden Triangle came and went Thursday after dumping as much as 5 inches of snow in some areas. Area officials didn”t report any major problems as temperatures dipped back below freezing Thursday night and this morning.
All local schools, colleges and universities reopened today as usual, including Mississippi University for Women, Mississippi State University and East Mississippi Community College.
Still, some slick spots were reported on bridges and overpasses, and state troopers were discouraging travel overnight.
Roads became slick again Thursday night and Friday morning as temperatures dropped into the teens. In Columbus, police worked 11 accidents from Wednesday through Friday morning, Public Information Officer Terrie Songer said. Oktibbeha County E-911 reported four minor accidents overnight with no serious injuries.
Today, temperatures rise back into the 40s, melting most of the remaining snow before nightfall. The weather warms significantly this weekend, with sunny skies and highs into the 60s.
The picture was much different Thursday. Most schools, businesses and government offices remained closed or opened late, but roads were mostly clear and the power was on.
”The mail must go on”
In Starkville, much of the city resembled a ghost town Thursday morning. With city, county and private schools closed, along with Mississippi State University and East Mississippi Community College, the ice-covered roads and sidewalks were largely devoid of traffic.
While much of the Golden Triangle took a snow day, others were out in full force, including the U.S. Postal Service
“The mail must go on,” Letter Carrier John Pegues said with a laugh as he walked carefully along Starkville Main Street”s icy sidewalks Thursday.
Pegues has been a letter carrier for 26 years and during that time he said he”s taken several spills, but so far this winter he has managed to stay on his feet.
While Pegues walked along Main Street, South Lafayette Street was mostly empty as many downtown businesses were closed due to icy conditions.
The Starkville Public Library, the city of Starkville and Oktibbeha County offices were closed, as well, except for non-essential employees, such as emergency responders. City Street Department workers, however, began salting bridges and overpasses before precipitation began Wednesday afternoon, City Engineer Edward Kemp said.
Structures known to ice, such as a bridge on North Montgomery Street over Highway 82 and a curved bridge on Reed Road, were salted before, during and after the snowfall, Kemp said.
“We salted a good number of the bridges,” Kemp said. “Kind of similar to last time (when ice covered bridges Feb. 3), we were unable to salt the whole city, so we concentrated on the areas where we typically have problems.”
In Oktibbeha County, road crews used front-end loaders and graders to remove snow from bridges, County Administrator Don Posey said. Crews also salted bridges and known trouble spots, he said.
The Mississippi Department of Transportation put salt on state highways throughout the Golden Triangle, including Highway 82, which was the scene of a dozen accidents during cold weather last week — a scene that wasn”t repeated this Wednesday and Thursday. Columbus city workers sanded bridges and icy spots and closed a few icy roads to traffic early Thursday.
The Associated Press and Staff Writer Jason Browne contributed to this story.
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