WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — Southern West Virginia is taking the full body blow from the extended snowstorm which stretched all the way across the state of Kentucky to St. Louis from the coalfields. The snow arrived Monday morning and dumped constantly on West Virginia’s southern region.
“It actually came at a good time, if you can have one come at a good time,” said Doug Goolsby, interim director of Emergency Services in Mingo County.
Goolsby said the Presidents Day holiday along with the cancellation of school were very helpful.
“The best thing is where it’s a holiday,” he said. “If it had happened any other day there would have been a lot more problems, but where’s it’s a holiday that’s actually helped out.”
Meadow Shumate, the emergency supervisor at the Raleigh County 911 center ,agreed.
“The roads are snow covered and they’re slick, but there’s not a lot of traffic and nobody seems to be having any trouble,” she said. “Now there are problems on the interstate, but they’re working them pretty good. So far everything has been cross our fingers, pretty good.”
The state Parkways Authority reported at midday conditions on the West Virginia Turnpike were worsening. Forecasters said the southern coalfields could get more than a foot of snow before the system moves out of West Virginia.