The record daily snowfall for Nov. 16 is actually 3.5 inches, set in 1920, according to WHIO-TV Meteorologist Kirstie Zontini.
Still, two records — last night’s low and today’s high — may be threatened. Overnight Monday, forecasters were calling for a low of 10 degrees, which would beat the previous record of 13 set in 1959, said WHIO Meteorologist Carrieann Marit.
This afternoon, forecasters are expecting a high of 20, which could beat the record for the date for the lowest high temperature of 27 degrees set in 1951. The National Weather Service in Wilmington said Dayton’s forecast high today is the coldest this early in the season.
And early Wednesday, the cold may intensify: Temperatures may fall to 14 degrees, threatening the previous record low of 12 set in 1914, Marit said.
The first snow of the season often means traffic backups and auto accidents, major and minor, and Monday was no different.
A fatal crash was reported around 7:30 a.m. on Dayton-Yellow Springs Road at Trebein Road in Fairborn. Police identified Rodney A. Shaw, 43, of Xenia, as the person killed in the head-on collision.
Shaw was traveling south on Trebein Road when he started to go off the right side of the road and over-corrected, striking a northbound vehicle head-on, according to Fairborn police. Shaw was not wearing a seat belt, police said. The other driver was taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
Salt shortage
It’s not even December, and already, city salt supplies are pinched. Pete Bales, Fairborn public administrative director, said the city has 2,200 tons of salt on hand. That supply must last all winter.
“We are going to approach this winter differently,” Bales said. “We have received all of the salt we are going to get.”
To put that in perspective, in an average winter, Fairborn uses about 2,400 tons of salt, he said. Last year, Fairborn used about 3,600 tons.
To conserve salt, the city is adopting new procedures. Bales said Fairborn will treat primary roads normally, plowing and salting 27 main thoroughfares, heavy traffic areas and roads near schools. Some of those main roads include Central and Kaufman avenues, Central Avenue, Dayton Drive and Col Glenn Highway, among others.
But on residential roads, Fairborn road crews will plow only, salting only dangerous areas, including slopes and hills, Bales said.
“We’re not alone,” he said.
Ron Cron, Vandalia public service director , said his city bid for road salt through a cooperative of Southwestern Ohio communities. The entire group estimated a total need of about 250,000 tons, with three responding suppliers guaranteeing some 63,000 tons — about a quarter of the total need. Vandalia’s request was 2,000 tons, he said.
Vandalia had around 1,000 tons Monday morning, Cron said. In a typical winter, the city uses about 1,800 tons. Last year, Vandalia used 2,800 tons.
Vandalia is adopting a policy similar to Fairborn’s, plowing and salting primary roads while plowing but not salting residential roads.
“We’re in the same boat,” Cron said.
Dayton faces similar challenges. In October, Fred Stovall, Dayton public works director, said the city has about 4,400 tons, far less than the 12,000 tons it usually stockpiles for winter.
Highways and thoroughfares will be the top priority and once those are safe, hills and intersections, Dayton officials said.
Dayton will clear residential streets only when they’re under 4 or more inches of snow or ice, Stovall said. The city will only plow these streets and not use salt.
Mandi Dillon, an Ohio Department of Transportation spokeswoman, said ODOT crews are trying to conserve salt with an eye on “safety first.” ODOT has more than 1,700 trucks and more than 3,000 drivers to clear 43,000 lane miles of state highway, the department said Monday.
“Our crews here in (ODOT) district seven have been using a combination of salt brine and agricultural de-icer,” she said. “They were using the same things (last winter).”
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