Old Man Winter truly made himself known in Vanderhoof and surrounding areas in the past week.
The seasons first hefty snowstorm began last Wednesday afternoon and didn’t stop until Thursday evening.
YRB reported up to 25 centimetres had fallen in some local areas by Thursday afternoon.
Didier Brard, general manager for the YRB Nechako service area told the Express on Thursday afternoon that crews had worked tirelessly from Wednesday afternoon through the night to get as many roads cleared as possible.
“Just between last night and the day shift we did over 50 hours of overtime,” said Brard.
He added that all graders and ploughs were being constantly utilized except for a couple undergoing repairs.
When a snowstorm hits, Brard says the first priority for YRB is working on clearing Highway 16 and 27.
“After that we get into our major side roads such as the Kenny Dam Road, the Blackwater Road, Sturgeon Point, and the Northside Loop,” said Brard.
He added that with cold but clear predictions for the weekend, he expected crews to be caught up on all roads by Friday morning.
Debbie Bailey, an office worker at Kal Tire in Vanderhoof told the Express on Thursday that the phone had been ringing off the hook since the snowstorm hit. She added that the waiting list for winter tire rotation was about three days.
RCMP reported three vehicle rollovers on Wednesday as a result of road conditions but no serious accidents.
YRB and RCMP would like to warn drivers to slow down on the roads and to make sure you have your winter tires on and have a well-equipped vehicle. Delay travel if conditions are bad.
For more tips about safe winter driving go to: www.th.gov.bc.ca/seasonaldriving/winter.html.
