Winter Comes Early
Back-To-Back Snows Close Schools, Offices In Rockbridge
The first snows of the season came to Rockbridge this past week, one on Friday and another on Monday, with a warm weekend in between.
Many parts of the county received at least 3 inches of snow from the early morning hours on Friday until about midday. Warm temperatures over the weekend melted much of the snow, only for more to fall throughout the day on Monday. Schools, courts, and government offices had either a delayed opening or closed for both events, and many businesses were closed as well.
Among the cancellations on Friday was the annual Lexington Christmas Parade. The announcement was made on Facebook by Main Street Lexington a little after 10 a.m., citing the amount of accumulation, the potential for freezing rain in the afternoon and temperatures that were “expected to hover near freezing” throughout the day. The post also said that participants will receive an email this week about processing a refund for the entry fee.
Several people commented on the post expressing their disappointment and frustration at the decision to cancel the parade, to not reschedule it, and that the decision was made so early in the day.
“Obviously you do not know what the people who participate in the parade do to make this a nice parade, the hours we spend to do something nice for our community,” one commenter wrote. “If you did, you would have waited a bit longer to see how road conditions were before canceling.”
“It seems like snow should be a welcome addition to a Christmas parade and I’ve been impressed with the efforts of the plowing to get the streets safe,” said another. “I think you made this decision too early and everyone would understand if you change your mind, recognize your mistake and reinstate the parade.”
Some comments expressed understanding along with their disappointment.
“We’ll miss seeing all the fanfare. Stay safe and warm everyone,” said one.
“This makes sense, but saddens me greatly,” added another.
Invitations from Fairfield and Glasgow parade organizers for floats planned for the Lexington parade to join the parades planned in those communities on Saturday were also shared in the comments.
“With hard work put into planning and making floats, I know they would love to have everyone,” said one invitation from Fairfield.
In a letter to the editor this week Main Street Lexington’s executive director, Jeremy Franklin, and President John Morman explained that they “did not make this decision lightly,” reiterating that the forecast for Friday evening “created unsafe conditions for both our participants and attendees,” and that large portions of the staging area near Maury River Middle School “were unusable due to the snowfall.”
They further explained that postponing the parade to a different date was not a viable option, as street closures for events like the parade “require formal approval from Lexington City Council, which must be procured well in advance.” They went on to add that they would be exploring “the feasibility of a ‘snow date’ going forward.”
Though the weather cleared enough to melt Friday’s snow in many areas over the weekend, colder temperatures returned on Monday, bringing a fresh snowfall with it. This time, the snow began in the early morning hours and continued throughout the day and well into the evening. Most areas of the county got between 2 and 4 inches of snow on Monday and Virginia Department of Transportation crews worked throughout the day to keep the interstates and main roads clear for the few drivers who were out.
Local schools closed Friday, Monday and Tuesday, and most government buildings closed on Monday as well. On Friday and Tuesday, the government offices had delayed openings.
No major accidents occurred through either event, though fire and rescue crews did respond to a few minor incidents throughout Monday and Monday night. An accident at mile marker 175 on Interstate 81 at about 3 a.m. Tuesday resulted in one person being transported with minor injuries, Rockbridge County Fire Chief Nathan Ramsey told The News-Gazette. Crews also responded to a car getting stuck in a ditch at the Goodwill store outside of Lexington and another car that slid into a light pole on Possum Hollow Road. No injuries were reported from either incident.
While temperatures were expected to climb to near 50 today, colder temperatures are then returning and snow showers are back in the forecast for Friday.
