Snow like 'the old days'

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Scott County’s weekend snowfall was its biggest in 12 years, as a major winter storm disrupted travel across virtually all of Tennessee.

Between six and eight inches of snow were measured in much of the county by the time the snow ended Saturday afternoon, and most roadways across the county remained snow-covered and treacherous until Monday afternoon.

The entire state was under a winter storm warning when wintry precipitation began falling Friday morning.

Although several inches of snow accumulated across much of the southern half of the state through the afternoon—including up to four inches in Chattanooga, which recorded its largest single snowfall since the March 1993 blizzard—light snow across the northern Cumberland Plateau did not produce much accumulation until after the sun had set Friday evening.

But once road conditions began to deteriorate, it didn’t take long for even state roads to become snow-covered and hazardous. Shortly after dark Friday, heavy snow began falling across the county, accumulating on roadways faster than Tennessee Department of Transportation crews could clear them. Most businesses in Oneida closed early Friday evening to allow their employees to make the commute to their homes before conditions worsened.

While snow changed to freezing rain across many areas of the state—causing significant damage in the southern Cumberland Plateau area and resulting in a large number of power outages—snow remained the primary form of precipitation in Scott County through the overnight hours.

Melting began in earnest under a full day of sunny skies on Sunday, as temperatures unexpectedly rose to 40 degrees. But U.S. Hwy. 27 south of the 27-63 intersection, as well as state Hwys. 52, 456 and 297, remained covered with several inches of compacted snow until late Sunday afternoon, when TDOT crews were finally able to clear the snow.

Most secondary roads remained snow-covered until Monday afternoon, when temperatures approached 50 degrees.

Despite the hazardous roadways, traffic accidents were relatively few. The National Weather Service and other public weather forecasters provided ample warning of the impending storm, and Oneida Chief of Police Mike Cross credited the public for being vigilant as the storm struck.

“We didn’t have a whole lot of accidents like I suspected we would,” Cross said. “That is absolutely a compliment to the public. They did a good job.”

Both the Oneida and Scott County school systems canceled classes in anticipation of the storm on Friday. Schools remained closed on Tuesday.

The snowfall was Scott County’s largest since a Feb. 3, 1998, winter storm resulted in more than a foot of heavy snow and millions of dollars in damages. A Feb. 13, 2006, snow storm resulted in six inches of snow, but did not accumulate on most roadways.