A white Christmas came a little early to the region with frigid temps and blowing snow. While the snowfall stopped, bitter cold temperatures kept much of the ice and snow from melting for a couple days. Road crews worked diligently to clear the roads for holiday travelers, but as of Friday morning, the roads were still mostly covered in ice.
While the conditions were brutal, downtown Salem was transformed into a winter wonderland. Snow billowed from the buildings downtown, catching the lights from the city’s Christmas decorations. High winds formed snowdrifts in the entryways, and the shop windows developed kaleidoscope-like frost patterns that glistened from Christmas displays behind the glass.
As we remember a holiday weekend enjoyed with friends and family, it’s important to remember the people who keep our society running, no matter the weather.
While many of us were cozy in our homes, perhaps watching a Christmas movie, road crews were out and about in Salem in the midst of the blizzard-like conditions, scraping the roadways and spreading salt and gravel. County crews had been making preparations to combat the conditions as well. First District Commissioner Wes Mobray reported in a Commission meeting the week prior that crews were preparing trucks to operate in the cold weather.
Emergency workers remained on-call and assisted those who needed help. The Salem Police opened their lobby to help warm frigid residents, and made preparations to open the Old City Hall basement if needed.
Other entities established warming stations as well. The Dent County Health Center, Salem Senior Center, Salem Public Library and the Salem Community Center @ The Armory all opened their doors to assist those facing the elements.
The City of Bunker also opened a warming station, providing snacks and hot cocoa for all.
Friday morning brought temperatures of -6, with windchills in the -25 degree range. Road crews were still out trying to clear the roads, indefatigably working to ensure safe travel for those visiting family during the holiday weekend. Utility crews stood by as always to ensure we had power to warm our homes and light up our Christmas trees.
Road crews and emergency services aren’t the only ones who worked hard to make sure we could all have our Christmas. Retail workers, often overlooked, braved the slick roads to make sure people could buy their last-minute Christmas gifts. They provide a vital service to our community, often working up to and including the holiday itself. There are those who man gas stations, to make sure we could all fill up on our way to Grandma’s house. Many worked in restaurants, helping those who have to be out in the weather grab a bite to eat before they head back out on the road.
Fortunately, despite the sub-zero temps and treacherous road conditions, the community reportedly weathered the storm well.
“Everyone has been driving pretty safe,” said Salem Police Lieutenant Jonathan Counts. As of print deadlines, Lieutenant Counts reports that so far, nobody has needed to utilize the warming station in the lobby.
The area remained under a wind chill warning until Friday night, and a wind chill advisory until midday Saturday as the region began to return to normal temperatures around Christmas Day. Those who wanted a white Christmas certainly got their wish, even if it was a few days early.
