‘Stay home:’ York Co. roads expected to freeze after snowfall

Inches of snow fell and stuck Wednesday across York County, but emergency officials are worried mostly about slick roads and black ice for drivers later Wednesday and Thursday.

Snow blanketed York County including the city of York, said Domenic Manera, fire chief for the city. Yet emergency officials remain concerned about the commute for people who left for work before the snow started and found roads treacherous when trying to get home.

“Many people left this morning when it was raining and now the roads are getting covered,” Manera said. “Our concern is people getting home safely, and then what the roads will be like overnight and Thursday.”

The latest National Weather Service forecast for Rock Hill predicted as much as 3 to 5 inches of snow for Wednesday. A winter storm warning runs through 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Plus, temperatures are expected to drop to the mid teens into Thursday morning, meaning anything on the road will freeze, officials said.

Chuck Haynes, director of York County Emergency Management, said county emergency officials are advising people to stay off the roads if possible. County trucks and S.C. Department of Transportation trucks are clearing major roads and spreading materials, such as brine, but the best reaction is for people to stay off the roads, Haynes said.

“Our concern is a hard freeze and the road conditions,” Haynes said. “We know some people absolutely have to go to work. But if they don’t, we ask them to stay home.”

A “strong cold front” with a drop in temperatures and possible snow moved through the area from the Southeast through the three-county area Wednesday, the weather service said.

Temperatures are expected to rise into the low 40s Thursday , then drop to the low 20s Thursday night before rebounding to the 50s by Friday and 60s over the weekend.

This story was originally published January 17, 2018 at 8:20 AM with the headline "‘Stay home:’ York Co. roads expected to freeze after snowfall."