Minor snow accumulations, drifting, and an underlying base of ice made roadways around the county
difficult for drivers this morning.
"They’re not real bad, they’re a little slippery," said Gary Britten, superintendent of the
Wood County Highway Garage.
Wood County Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn indicated that some roads had a covering base of ice, but with winds
dying down this morning, drifting was less of an issue.
Britten indicated that "the problem is, with this kind of weather, with the weather getting colder,
it makes the snow really crisp and fine," exacerbating drifting concerns. Temperatures in Bowling
Green this morning were listed at 7 above zero, with little change expected throughout the day.
He said that earlier the drifting snow had created visibility issues for some plow drivers.
"They’re drivable as long as people take their time and pay attention," said Britten of the
roads.
Bowling Green streets were slippery this morning with the overnight snow.
Director of Public Works Brian Craft said refuse and recycling collection was going on as scheduled and
said the city expected a delivery of salt today to replenish its supply.
Dispatchers for area law enforcement this morning had little to report in the way of crashes, though the
Bowling Green Post of the State Highway Patrol handled a crash around 5:30 a.m. on Interstate 280 that
resulted in minor injuries.
"I know the roads are a little slick, but so far we haven’t had too many problems," said a
Perrysburg Police Division dispatcher.
The deepening cold was expected to keep the situation status quo for an ice jam on the Maumee River.
"It’s pretty much locked in there," said Wood County Emergency Management Director Brad Gilbert
of the jam, located in Henry County, approximately two miles west of Grand Rapids. "Obviously, with
these temperatures, it’s probably going to sit there a while."
The half-mile-long jam reportedly caused minor flooding in eastern Henry County late last week, but as of
this morning had not created any flooding issues in Wood County.
In an interview last week, Gilbert indicated that authorities were keeping a close watch on the
situation.
This is the second ice jam reported on a major local waterway. A previous ice jam on the Portage River
near Pemberville – in some places three feet thick – broke up early last week after causing minor
flooring to a few properties in the village.