Local News
By William Coffman, Local & National Editor
Americans have spent the last few days battling freezing temperatures and mounds of snow, with power outages and closings widespread as the country weathers this winter storm.
Cincinnati saw record snowfall, forcing closures across the city.
Ohio was one of the many states hit hard by the recent storm. Cincinnati received a record 9.2 inches of snow Sunday; just 2.6 inches below the all-time snow record of 11.8 inches Cincinnati received on Feb. 4, 1998.
The snow impacted virtually all of Greater Cincinnati. Northern Kentucky University, the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University all went remote, joined by many primary and secondary schools.
Xavier’s campus received a significant amount of snow but had plows working to keep the roads and paths through campus clear. The roads off campus proved to be more difficult for students to travel.
“The only thing that was bad was crossing Dana. The crosswalk wasn’t clear all the way and you had to climb through the snow, which was up to my knees, making it difficult to get through. The rest of campus was fine, I didn’t think the main campus walkways were slick,” junior public relations major and Village Resident Advisor Lily Hermann said.
Xavier saw heavy snowfall, covering wide swaths of campus in mounds of snow.
The roads were also a point of concern, with residents being encouraged to avoid driving. Hamilton County issued a level three snow emergency, closing the roads for all drivers with the exception of essential personnel. Those traveling on the roads who did not fall under that essential personnel category risked being cited by law enforcement monitoring the roads.
The impact across the country has been devastating. The New York Times reported at least 19 states received a foot of snow. Tuesday morning, news broke of three boys who drowned in an icy pond in Texas, raising the death toll to 35.
That death toll from the storm includes one citizen from Kentucky, a 72-year-old woman who died of hypothermia and one from Ohio, a 49-year-old on a snowmobiler who was hit by a snowplow.
While the snow has stopped for now, freezing temperatures are likely to continue into next week, posing risks to people traveling outside for extended periods. To prevent risk of frostbite, layer up with proper winter clothing when outside.
