Areas North Deal With Heavy Snowfall

Half-a-foot of snow made a mess out of roads around Bartlesville.  A fully-loaded Wal-Mart truck flipped off Highway 60, spilling several tons of cargo.  Mail carriers braved rural roads, knowing one tight turn could mean hours in the snow.

"It's scary, because, you know, some of the roads are really bad and a long way in between houses. You know, if you get off the road, you're just going to be there until somebody comes along," said postal worker Beverly Conley.

At the state transportation department yard south of Bartlesville, the night crew is getting a close look at the storm on radar and planning their strategy for overnight.  The trucks are loaded with plows and a sand-salt mixture.  The crews will keep an eye out for trouble spots.

"Bridges, hills, curves where the water runs back across the road, low spots, wet spots, in between curbs in town," said Brian Sutton.

Throughout the day and into the night, crews have kept the upper hand on old man winter.  The 325 lane miles in and around Bartlesville are in good shape.

"That's a wet snow. There are the easiest to do, just as soon as it quits snowing.  You can plow plumb to the highway and get rid of it," added Brian Sutton.

There's a lot to get rid of.  Eight to 10 inches of snow fell in some areas of Washington County.

Over in Nowata, Will Miller worked to clear a parking lot.  He says it's nothing compared to the recent ice storm, but the heavy snowfall can still be challenging.

"We haven't had ice yet.  It's just been a pain to clean up.  We've been salting and the snow just comes right back on the salt," said Will Miller of Nowata.

While the snow was work for some, it's just perfect for daddies and daughters, like Matthew and Madison Bowersock of Coffeyville, which saw some of the heaviest snow of the area.

"Spend time with Madison at home, no school, snow to play in," said Matthew Bowersock of Coffeyville.

As the day winds down, the fun turns to concern that the melted snow will refreeze.  Road crews will be ready in case it does.  The night crew will work a 12 hour shift overnight before another crew takes over.  They have plenty of salt and sand available.