Mid-Ohio Valley braces for second round of winter weather in a week | News, Sports, Jobs

PARKERSBURG — A new weather system prompted the National Weather Service to issue a winter weather advisory for the entire Mid-Ohio Valley area in both West Virginia and Ohio.

Wood County Schools Superintendent Will Hosaflook announced a 2-hour delay for the school system for today after a Wednesday evening briefing from the NWS.

“The National Weather debriefing (Wednesday) evening indicated that Wood County would receive one to three inches of snow by 7 a.m. (today) along with the possible flash freezing of roads. Therefore, Wood County Schools will operate on a 2-hour delay for (today). An additional communication will be made around 6:45 a.m. (this) morning, after roads have been surveyed by our staff, to inform our families and employees if school will be in session,” Hosaflook announced.

The advisory is in effect from 7 p.m. Wednesday night until 7 a.m. today.

It will start with rain, and then switch over to snow, with up to 3 inches expected in most areas.

The new snow, combined with that from the snowstorm Sunday night and Monday morning, could cause new problems for road crews still digging out.

Tom Buchanan, the highway administrator for the West Virginia Department of Highways — Wood County, said Wednesday crews were working 24 hours a day with 12-hour shifts just to clean off the remaining secondary roads — the gravel and tar-chip roads.

But when the snow hits, Buchanan said, “We’ll have to go back on the main roads and start treating them.”

That means starting over with the main roads first.

Ashley Rittenhouse, the public information officer for the Ohio Department of Transportation District 10, in Marietta, said their crews were working a normal day, but also said, “If the snow starts up later in the evening, they will be called back in.”

And they could be working from Wednesday night into this morning, she said. She also added, “The last snow event means there is still material on the roads.”

Rittenhouse also said there was no purpose laying new material down because if the weather starts out as rain, the material would be washed away.

As of Wednesday evening, few schools had announced closings although some had delays. Along with Wood County, Doddridge County Schools, Calhoun County Schools, Wetzel County Schools, Roane County Schools, Wirt County Schools, Jackson County Schools, Tyler County Schools and Ritchie County Schools also announced 2-hour delays for today.

Some places, activities, and organizations that are closed or delayed today include:

* O’Neill Senior Center — bingo canceled.

* Wood County Meals on Wheels — Delayed 2 hours — A.M. Delivery Servers, use provided emergency meals.

* Wood County Senior Citizens Center — Opening 2-hours late, Staff report at 10 a.m.

* Wood County Senior Transportation Services — 3 hour delay, no A.M. transports.