Wind biggest factor in road conditions

From the perspective of a snow-plow operator for the St. Joseph County Road Commission, this week’s weather was actually considered mild, according to agency director John Lindsey.

In his first winter as manager of the Centreville-based road commission, Lindsey said the snowfall this week was not major compared to other winter storms he and his crews have experienced in years past.

He said temperature has little bearing on road-clearing efforts. Wind, however, is without question the biggest problem this week. Lindsey said some roads that were cleared early Wednesday morning were drifted over in a matter of hours.

As far as materials, Lindsey said the department has enough salt/sand mixture to last through the winter. The past month, however, has put a minor dent into the agency’s inventory.