By Susan Calhoun
What do you call 20" of snow, sleet, rain and fluctuating temperatures spread over seven days combined with the needs of 25,000 students, faculty and staff? For the Ohio University Grounds Department it was the makings of a snow event of monumental proportions.
Storm preparations began early on Friday, Valentine's Day. Forecasts were analyzed, equipment double-checked for readiness and snow operation plans reviewed. By 3 p.m., the storm had begun.
Thirty-five groundskeepers started out the assault on the first six inches of snow with an arsenal of eight vehicles with snowplows and salt spreaders, twenty-five tractors, utility vehicles and smaller machines with attachments.
The Grounds troops were assisted with handwork by approximately 25 Facilities and Auxiliaries personnel that had signed up on the Extraordinary Natural Events overtime roster. The dining halls provided hot meals for all that participated.
As the falling snow turned to rain, then sleet, and back to snow again, Athens County fell under a Level 3 Emergency Status and the administration declared the University officially closed beginning at 9:45 a.m. on Sunday. The University remained closed for two days.
The weary troops battled on, assisted by various individuals from most Facilities and Auxiliaries departments. These hybrid crews pulled 9 to 13 hour days while plow trucks ran virtually nonstop. Exhaustion began to take its toll. Some employees who lived beyond the city of Athens weren't able to return home the entire weekend due to road conditions.
In large parking areas, the snow became so deep that five local heavy equipment contractors were called in to clear lots. In some cases the snow was piled so deep that it had to be trucked away to increase parking capacity.
Tuesday, the countywide Level 3 status was lifted and at 10 a.m. the University opened again, with two days of closure: five days after the storm had begun. Snow removal continued the entire week however, with several additional inches of snow falling throughout the period.
Preliminary figures show that 103 tons of potassium chloride and 14 tons of salt were used to melt snow and ice. The University's salt supplier was unable to deliver material before the storm began, so with the approaching need in mind, Grounds Director Mark Whitney purchased all the available bulk potassium chloride in Athens County and several days later purchased material from Meigs County as well.
Rough labor figures totaled approximately 2,675 hours with additional contractor efforts yet to be counted.
Customer service was still alive and well on campus despite the conditions, as Grounds employees assisted students and staff in many ways. One particular example occurred when Groundskeeper Jeff Withem used his personal all-wheel drive vehicle to transport baseball equipment out of an unplowed storage area so the baseball team could depart on schedule for a game in North Carolina.
A phenomenal week of rain, sleet and snow and phenomenal commitment by Facilities and Auxiliaries crews helped make this winter unforgettable.
Susan Calhoun is the landscape coordinator for the Grounds Department.
