Frigid temps are coldest in a decade
An outbreak of arctic air in Tennessee last week proved to be the coldest in over a decade.
In some areas of the eastern United States, the cold air was record-breaking. Locally, no records were broken, but residents did shiver through what is believed to be the coldest temperatures since 1996. An arctic outbreak in 2003 was similar in intensity.
Temperatures plummeted to zero Friday morning, with afternoon high temperatures on both Thursday and Friday struggling to get above 20 degrees.
The temperatures caused a number of school closings across the region, including the Scott County School System, where a two-hour snow delay had already been put into place. The decision to cancel classes was made at around 8 a.m. Friday, after some of the school system’s buses reportedly would not start. Schools were also two hours late on Thursday. Oneida schools were closed Thursday due to snow.
On Saturday, some of the most hazardous road conditions in several years were the result of light freezing rain, which began late Saturday evening and lasted into Sunday morning.
A significant number of traffic accidents were reported to local law enforcement agencies, with some roadways being closed for a period of time due to those accidents. Despite extra personnel being on duty, a waiting list of accidents — at times quite a lengthy list — faced officers most of the evening.
At Scott High School in Huntsville, the Scott County Middle School Basketball Tournament was ending as road conditions deteriorated. Fairview principal Linda Sharp — whose school was the host school for the tournament — provided food for as many as 100 persons who were unable to leave until well in the night, after state roads were cleared by State Dept. of Transportation crews.
Almost all church services in Scott County were canceled Sunday morning due to the inclement road conditions.
Road conditions deteriorated again on Monday, due to light snow. Although snow totals measured only one-to-two inches across the area, the cold surfaces caused by the arctic outbreak allowed for snow to quickly accumulate on roadways. A large number of traffic accidents were once again responded to by the Scott County Sheriff’s Department and Oneida Police Department.
Forecasters called for milder conditions this week, with temperatures perhaps reaching 50 degrees by today (Thursday) before another, less brutal, brush with winter this weekend.