An unexpected snowstorm with averages of around eight inches of snow throughout Texas County brought chaos, leaving county and city employees and officials working to get roads cleared and help stranded motorists this past weekend. Forecasts called for the possibility of one to two inches of snow - far less than the amount that actually arrived in the early morning hours of Dec. 27. The snow was preceded by thunderstorms throughout the previous day.
Between accidents and closed highways, officials within the county worked around the clock on solutions to get travelers moving once again. 24th Street in Guymon remained closed for hours on end as responders worked to get vehicles cleared from the road. In some cases, individuals were reported to have left their cars locked up. It was noted during conversation at the meeting that tow services will not move locked vehicles they don’t have the keys for - causing an additional layer of problems.
Tyson informed the commissioners that Texas County will remain under a disaster proclamation until Jan. 6, throughout continued freezing temperatures preventing melt off. Currently, forecasts call for temperatures in the mid-40s on Thursday and up into the mid-50s on Friday.
Bryan reported having blade trucks running on Monday.
Commissioner Jack Strain noted many of his district’s drivers were out at 2 a.m. on the mornings following the snowstorm in an effort to clear roads, some working more than 12 hours in a day.