Snow, ice pelt area

Ledger photo / TARA JENNINGS William Echevarria of Gaffney slides down a hill at Park Place in Gaffney after a half-inch of snow fell Thursday. South Carolina Department of Transportation salt trucks hit the road Wednesday afternoon in advance of the first significant winter storm of the year that dumped as much as a half-inch of snow here.

"We started (Wednesday) when the weather was dry, coating the interstate and bridges with the salt and brine mixture," DOT maintenance supervisor Bobby Middleton said.

As many as 12 plow and sand spreader trucks were still busy Thursday, laying coats of brine and salt on the county's major roads, including Hwys. 29, 105, 150, 18 and 198.

"The roads are in great shape," Middleton said.

The DOT's hard work apparently paid off - there were only five weather-related accidents, according to Cherokee County Emergency Preparedness Director Rick Peterson.

"There was really nothing out of the ordinary," Peterson said. "We had some wrecks around the college area near O'Neal Street."

Gaffney Board of Public Works General Manager Donnie Hardin said there were no weather-related power outages.

"There was no freezing on power lines," Hardin said Thursday afternoon. "Hopefully, it will stay that way."

The winter storm watch issued Wednesday for the county caused Cherokee County and Limestone College officials to cancel school Thursday.

State law requires school districts to have snow makeup days built into their calendars. Students will make up days missed from inclement weather April 9 and May 25.

Weather-related school closing decisions are made by the school district after consulting weather reports, evaluating the conditions of secondary roads and whether schools can be safely operated. Information on school delays and closings is available on the district's phone information line at 902-3621.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Harry Gerapetritis said the storm dumped as much as six inches of snow near the Georgia and South Carolina border. Portions of Upstate South Carolina received as much as 1 1/2-inches of snow and sleet, he said.

"We had a very cold high pressure in place and a weak low moved in from the Gulf Coast," he said. "The moist air rode over the cold air and produced the precipitation."

A second wave of precipitation was expected Thursday night, which had the possibility of producing slick driving conditions this morning.

The temperature is expected to rise above freezing early today and reach a high in the upper 40s. Dry and very cold conditions are expected for the remainder of the weekend and through next week.