February 27, 2023 |
Last week’s Winter Storm Olive dumped nearly two feet of snow onto Rawlins, putting added pressure on the city’s plow crews.
Public Information Officer Mira Miller said plow crews worked all weekend to keep the city’s roads clear. She said the wind blows the snow right back onto the streets.
Miller said plow crews had the major roads open by last Thursday. In between keeping drifts off the bus routes, she said plows would begin working on the back roads today.
With 85 miles of road to clear, plow crews need to prioritize certain places. Miller said the area of Harshman Street by the rec center is prone to heavy drifting. She said other roads take precedence, so it isn’t likely to be plowed soon.
After the snowstorms in January, Rawlins Public Works Director Cody Dill said the city moved thousands of dump truck loads of snow to storage locations. At the time, Dill said the snow storage areas were already filling up. However, Miller said the city still has enough room for more snow.
Seeing predicted snow totals of up to 23 inches, city officials demanded people stay home during the storm. Miller thanked residents for keeping off the streets and letting the plow crews work.
The so-called Blizzard of ‘23 crippled a large portion of the state. Pictures on social media showing snow drifts nearly 10 feet high are reminiscent of the Blizzard of ‘49.
