Winter springs snowy surprise on region

SANDPOINT — It was a typical winter day Wednesday for the Bonner County Road and Bridge Department, said department director Jason Topp, despite the excessive amount of snow received throughout the county yesterday morning.

“The only real obstacles we are having is our gravel roads are very soft, so we will need graders on them for plowing to keep our trucks from digging into the road surface,” Topp said. “It is a slow process, but it looks to be very short-lived.”

Topp also said the county is expecting to see a chance for wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour. This highly raises the possibility of downed trees, especially with the ground not being frozen and the trees now loaded with wet, heavy snow.

“If folks see trees down and power lines are involved — do not attempt to cut it out of the road,” Topp advised. “Report it to dispatch and we will work with the power companies to remove them. Though the power lines may look like they are not working, they most likely could be energized and should be treated as if they are to avoid injury or even death.”

Topp said Road and Bridge staff are really looking forward to warmer weather so they can get caught up on spring grading and making sure the county roads are as smooth and safe as possible.

A winter storm warning remains in effect for the Idaho Panhandle until 4 p.m. today. The snow from Wednesday’s storm is expected to melt quickly with continued rains into the weekend and next week. Wind gusts are expected to reach between 35 and 50 miles per hour this morning.