Rain Freezing Over Snow and Roads

Public Works employees continue to plow not only snow from the roads, but also ice from freezing rain. 

"Roads are slippery. Our big concern is with the cold temperature and anticipated rain," Welsh said. "Right now, we're trying to get the snow off of roadways so that when we get rain we don't have heavy frozen snow packed on the road."

Public Works officials have been clearing snow since 1 a.m.

Ice has glazed over the snow, so any driveways that residents did not shovel early in the day were more difficult later on as the pavement became more slippery and the snow more heavy to lift.

After the chain of snow storms in the past few weeks, the snowbanks are growing taller and wider, making it more difficult for snowplows to clear snow all the way to the side of the road.

"One of the problems we are going to face, with another storm predicted Thursday into Friday, is that the snowbanks are getting high, and we are unable to push snow as far back as we'd like," Paul Welsh, Public Works Department highway foreman, told Patch at 10:30 a.m. "Snowbanks are taller than the snow plows. It will be an issue if we keep getting snow."

Welsh said that Avon residents are growing accustomed to storm procedures and staying off of the roads for the most part, allowing the snowplows to do their jobs. For those drivers that do go out, he said to drive slowly because while the roads are passable, they are slippery. The high snowbanks also decrease visibility coming around corners or turning at intersections.

Avon Volunteer Fire Chief Michael Trick asked Public Works to assist with clearing off fire hydrants last week, Welsh said, but he requests that homeowners with a fire hydrant near their property to clear it off. There is no town ordinance that requires homeowners to do so, but he said it would be helpful in the event of a fire. Welsh said that the fire hydrant was already cleared when there was a structure fire at 32 Brian Lane on Sunday, allowing the responding fire departments to access water to put out the flames more promptly.

The Avon Police Department did not report any major accidents as of 4:40 p.m., but said that drivers have been struggling with the road conditions. A car crashed into a pole at the intersection of West Avon Road and Bronson Road, police confirmed, at around 1 p.m. Both the car and pole were damaged, but no injuries were reported. The road was shut down between Kingsbridge Road and Hollister Drive along West Avon Road.

"We did have several vehicles getting stuck due to the conditions," Lt. Kelly Walsh, who handles communications for the police department, wrote to Patch in an e-mail.

Snow began before dawn on Tuesday and is expected to mix with freezing rain and sleet, then change over to rain or freezing rain around 4 p.m. and freezing rain after 5 p.m.  A winter storm warning is in effect for Hartford County until 6 a.m. Wednesday and a total accumulation of 4 to 6 inches is possible.

Town Hall, the Avon Post Office and most businesses remain open for regular hours. Avon public schools have been canceled and school offices closed. The Board of Education Meeting scheduled for Tuesday evening has been canceled, school officials announced just before 11: 30 a.m. Farmington Valley Academy Montessori, Talcott Mountain Academy of Science, Mathematics and Technology and the Reggio Magnet School of the Arts are also closed, along with activities.

Avon Old Farms  School does not cancel classes normally in inclement weather, according to Judy O'Brien, executive administrative assistant to the school provost (academic administration). The language final exam scheduled for Tuesday is still taking place and will not be canceled, she said.

Only 20 percent of the students are day students, and for those commuters that do not stay overnight with a friend before a storm are excused from school when Avon public schools close because of the dangerous road conditions. She said that normally half of the day students come to class.

"Some of them end up spending the night when they know the storm is coming," O'Brien said. "A lot of them room with friends from school and prepare for the storm."

For those students that stay home, the independent secondary school has an online Homework Now program, allowing students to work from home.

The school is responsible for clearing its grounds, but the town of Avon is responsible for clearing Old Farms road, which is windy, narrow and surrounded by woods. She said that the roads near the school and the paths on campus are relatively clear.

The National Weather Service warned that up to half an inch of ice might accumulate on top of the snow in Hartford County. That ice could bring down tree branches and cause power failures, the weather service warned.

Connecticut Light & Power asks that power outages be reported to 1-800-286-2000 and downed power lines be reported to your local police or fire department at 9-1-1.

On Monday night, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy warned residents that the heavy snow already on roofs and other surfaces could become heavier with the  ice and rain.

"It's winter in Connecticut, so while we are dealing with excess snow from last week's storm, we have yet another one right on our doorstep," Malloy said in a press release Monday. "Tomorrow's commute will be a sloppy mess, so I'm urging people to take it slow, drive carefully, and be aware of any icing that may occur."

Editor's Note: This story was last updated at 11:37 p.m.