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While snow may fall 24 hours a day, Kosciusko County residents should not expect to see the highway department plowing for the full 24 hours.
Like any other workers, the county highway department plowing crew needs a day to rest.
"The plows didn't run Sunday because (the crews) worked Saturday. The forecast was that there was no snow forecasted (for Sunday). We received no calls from the sheriff's department of any particular problems. It was the first day off they got since the snow started Saturday," highway superintendent and engineer Rob Ladson said.
He said crews worked 100 hours with no full day off since the snowstorm began. They worked at least 12 hours a day and needed the day off Sunday, he said.
The crews started working today at 4:30 a.m., as is procedure.
As for plowing at night, Ladson said, "They do run at night for emergency runs."
He said it was not possible for crews to run 24 hours a day because there just wasn't enough manpower and resources to do so.
County Administrator Ron Robinson said this morning that the county is considering hiring private contractors to help move snow.
"I think we need to get some help from private excavators with payloaders to lay some of this snow way back away from the roads," Robinson said.
He said the county has 23 snowplows and three or four payloaders but has not been able to keep pace with the snow and wind.
Blowing snow last night closed many north/south county roads, prompting complaints from motorists and school closings countywide. Schools were scheduled to reopen today on a two-hour delay, but classes were canceled because roads weren't open.
Robinson said he and the county commissioners may meet with area school superintendents in the near future to discuss problems with snow removal.
