MORGANTOWN — The Morgantown area saw about 4 inches of snow fall Wednesday night, which led to several crashes in the county but no serious injuries.
Flurries were expected Thursday night, but accumulation was unlikely, Danielle Knittle, a meteorologist with AccuWeather, said. Morgantown will be on the northern fringe of that storm.
Heading into the weekend there could be some snow or freezing rain tonight and again Saturday afternoon, she said. Tonight, the temperature will drop to a low of 25 and Saturday’s high will be 35.
The Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office responded to 10 vehicle crashes between 4:41 p.m. Wednesday and 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Chief Deputy of Law Enforcement Mark Ralston said. He said more than one of those was in the area around Van Voorhis Road and West Run Road.
Five of those were reported with injury, however, one patient refused treatment and for others, it was not needed.
Ralston said typically crashes caused by winter road conditions are at a low speed, and injuries tend to be minor.
As of 1:54 p.m. Thursday, the Morgantown Police Department had responded to seven accidents in a 24-hour period, according to Morgantown Communications Director Andrew Stacy.
Only one required a patient to be taken to the hospital. That one happened Wednesday afternoon and was not weather-related, he said.
The city’s public works department has worked 12-hour shifts since Tuesday evening, Stacy said. Wednesday morning, there were five trucks and six at night.
“It’s important to remember that if the snow is coming down fast enough, as it was [Thursday] morning, the trucks can clear the road and within 10-15 minutes it’s covered and you wouldn’t be able to tell they were there,” Stacy said.
Also, helping with wrecks or other emergencies when asked by MECCA 911 takes priority and a truck will leave its route to do so, Stacy said.
“That’s why it’s important for people to take it slow and be patient,” he said. “Our crews are working around-the-clock to make sure the roads are clear.”
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