Storm may mean ‘heavy snow,’ power losses, bad roads for York, Chester, Lancaster
York, Chester and Lancaster counties are bracing for a potential brutal winter storm Friday night through Saturday that could paralyze traffic and knock out power, forecasters and transportation officials said.
Weather forecasters are calling for as much as 6 inches of snow, while transportation officials say up to 8 inches is possible. Temperatures are expected to drop into the low teens Saturday night and could fall into the single digits Sunday night.
The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Warning Thursday, meaning an imminent storm is likely Friday night and Saturday.
The storm is expected to bring “heavy snow” and will make some roads “impassable,” the weather service said.
Power outages could result from accumulated snow on limbs and power lines, weather forecasters said. York Electric Cooperative, one of three utility providers in York County, told customers Thursday that linemen will be on standby to work any outages.
Representatives with Duke Energy and the city of Rock Hill utilities also said they have been monitoring the weather forecast, and will be prepared to service the area with “appropriately staffed crews.”
“We are ready and prepared and other cooperatives from other parts of the state are on standby to assist us if the need arises,” said Marc Howie, vice-president at York Electric Cooperative.
The weather forecast was updated several times Thursday, and each time forecasters have changed the expectations to more snow.
Trucks treated York and Chester county highways on Thursday and will do so again on Friday, state transportation officials said.
Interstate 77, which bisects the full length of both counties, is the main priority and emergency crews are preparing to assist motorists should the need arise.
“We will be here helping anyone who has a problem, and even make room here at the station if need be,” said John Agee, Richburg Volunteer Fire Chief in Chester County. Richburg handles emergencies for most of Chester County’s I-77 stretch.
The snow could stick around, as temperatures are not forecast by National Weather Service officials to get much above freezing, if at all, until Tuesday.
Steven Diamond, assistant resident maintenance engineer at the S.C. Department of Transportation York County headquarters on Robertson Road south of Rock Hill, said brine trucks had been pretreating Interstate 77 in both directions on Thursday. The same pretreating plan for Interstate 77 will be in effect Friday, he said.
Other primary highways also would be treated Thursday and Friday, Diamond said.
“We will have as many as 30 trucks in York County working,” Diamond said.
Check back for developments as the forecast is updated.
This story was originally published January 5, 2017 at 10:18 AM with the headline "Storm may mean ‘heavy snow,’ power losses, bad roads for York, Chester, Lancaster."