What Does It Take to Keep Snowbound Towns Up and Running?

COMMUNITY NEWS

CARRBORO – With snow and ice finally melting away, this weekend will be the first day off for some of Carrboro’s Public Works staff in 26 days.

“With back-to-back weekend storms, some staff came to work on Jan. 12 and have not had a day off since,” Carrboro Public Works Director Kevin Belanger said in a recent press release. “During winter events, staff shift to two 12-hour shifts. Some staff who typically operate solid waste trucks take the evening shift and operate snowplows and spreaders instead.”

2026 started cold

According to The Assembly, annual snowfall in the Triangle area has declined by about 36 percent since 1991. The past couple of weeks did their best to nudge the counts higher. First came the mix of ice and snow the weekend of Jan. 24, then the snowstorm this past weekend. The News and Observer estimates that three to four inches fell in Chapel Hill during the second event.

The BBC says the blame for the cold falls on the polar vortex, a ring of strong winds circling the Arctic. When the vortex becomes unstable, warm air pushes up into the Arctic and cold air spills out, disrupting normal weather patterns. This may be due to climate change warming the Arctic, though not all scientists agree. Over the past couple of weeks, the vortex-related disruptions have been intense enough that Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency on Jan. 29.

A different kind of winter wonderland

It’s not just the snowfall levels that have changed with time. The Assembly notes that more people now work from home; even if roads are impassable, work may continue. Students are more likely to stay home, too: school districts are quicker to err on the side of caution and declare a snow day the night before a storm rather than wait until they’re certain. Some school districts, including the Chapel Hill-Carrboro School System, declared a remote-learning day rather than a snow day.

Not that everyone stays indoors, even if they have the option. The Daily Tarheel reports that UNC students took full advantage of the weather by sledding, skiing, making snowballs, and occasionally watching each other slip and fall on the ice.

Other area residents were more cautious. Town of Chapel Hill Communications Manager Alex Carrasquillo says “folks largely listened to our request to stay home and stay safe,” which helped the town get through without significant issues.

Streets and grounds staff, brine, plow, salt and sand, clearing roadways, sidewalks, and greenways. Photo courtesy of Cat Lazorko, Town of Carrboro.

Carrboro in the cold

Carrboro Fire Chief Will Potter said in an email interview that both the Fire and Police departments had to staff shifts with additional personnel to ensure they were ready for the worst. “For each event, the Town activated its Emergency Operations Center to coordinate resources and maintain close communication with response partners.” Coordination involved Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, and Orange County working together. Carrboro’s Communications and Engagement Department provided a steady stream of messages to keep the town informed.

“Both before and during the storms,” Potter said, “personnel from the town, along with the Orange County Housing Department, conducted outreach to support community members experiencing homelessness. These efforts prioritized vulnerable populations and reinforced the Town’s commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of all residents during emergencies.”

Potter said the Public Works Department played a major role. “Crews worked around the clock, often under challenging conditions, to treat and clear roadways, sidewalks, greenways, and municipal facilities. People think of first responders as police, fire, and EMS. Public Works personnel serve as essential first responders by maintaining critical infrastructure and ensuring the safety of our community during emergency events.”

Belanger said the department’s work included removing snow from building exteriors, clearing walkways, and using brine, snowplows, salt, and sand to clear roadways, sidewalks, and greenways. “With so much to do, it is hard to schedule it all and get staff scheduled time off. Some staff work continuously until the job is done. With back-to-back weekend winter events, it has been a long four weeks.”

Fraser Sherman has worked for newspapers, including the Destin Log, the Pensacola News-Journal and the Raleigh Public Record. Born in England, he’d still live in Florida if he hadn’t met the perfect woman and moved to Durham to marry her. He’s the author of several film reference books and has published one novel and several short story collections. This reporter can be reached at: Information@TheLocalReporter.press