As the second round of wintry weather is comes to a close, snowfall totals around the area are on a record-setting pace.
In Lebanon, snowfall accumulation was reported to have reached 4.8 inches, and in Oxford, accumulation reached 5.5 inches.
Through the first 15 days of December, 8.3 inches of snow accumulation has been recorded, more than doubling the average of 3.2 inches for the same period of time, NWS meteorologist Andrew Snyder said.
All schools in Warren and Butler counties were closed Thursday because of the snow.
This is also the fourth-coldest December on record for the Greater Cincinnati area with an average temperature of 25.3 degrees . Cincinnati’s 30-year December average stands at 37 degrees .
Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones lifted a Level 1 advisory for the county just before 4 p.m. Thursday, and the Oxford Police Department lifted its snow emergency shortly thereafter, which allowed for parking on designated snow routes.
The Butler County Sheriff’s Office, West Chester police and Middletown police reported a handful of minor accidents, citing only a few slick and hazardous locations that caused delays.
Ohio 73 outside Trenton reopened after closing briefly while the Ohio Department of Transportation road crews responded with salt trucks to the area near Edgewood High School and Butler Memorial Park as a number of cars had slid off the road.
Crews are continuing work to clear roads for residents in Butler and Warren counties. The area’s winter weather storm warning issued by the NWS expired at 1 p.m. Thursday .
Chris Petrocy, public information supervisor for the Butler County Engineer’s Office, said the county’s 15 plow trucks are continually driving its 15 routes.
“It takes three to four hours per route and with the rate of snowfall the roads become snow covered quickly after,” Petrocy said. “People should drive with caution, take it easy and give plenty of space.”
Bonnie Short, Butler County dispatch manager, said between 3 and 9 a.m. dispatchers received about 30 calls, mostly for disabled vehicles, slide offs and wrecks.
Area dispatchers had their work cut for them early Thursday morning, but fortunately, there weren’t too many major accidents reported.
Drivers, however, should remain cautious driving today as temperatures are only expected to top out at 27 degrees with some sunshine in the forecast, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington.
With crews continuing to focus on thoroughfares and main roadways, side streets could potentially be hazardous today, and with temperatures remaining frigid throughout the weekend, the potential for slick spots is likely, according to the NWS.
Short said her staff received many calls Thursday from residents inquiring about the advisory level in the county.
“We’ve been killed, everyone’s been calling to see what level advisory we’re at,” a Butler County dispatcher said.
Minor accidents were reported in Warren County, according to dispatchers there. The Ohio State Highway Patrol reported a minor accident at 7:40 a.m. near the intersection of Ohio 63 and Ohio 741.
The area close to the border of Warren and Clinton counties was particularly treacherous for commuters on Thursday.
At the 38-mile marker of northbound Interstate 71, a jack-knifed tractor trailer had traffic down to one lane for several hours Thursday morning, according to dispatchers. Another semi rolled over while heading south on I-71 near the 41-mile marker around 10:30 a.m.
A dispatcher with the state patrol said the driver of the vehicle was taken to Bethesda North Medical Center at Arrow Springs in Lebanon.
Several other cars drove off the road into ditches as a result of the accident, according to dispatch, but no injuries were reported.
Other minor accidents peppered area roadways throughout the day Thursday.
At 10 a.m., Ohio 741 outside of Springboro was closed due to an accident.
Early Thursday morning, the highway patrol reported a disabled semi on south Interstate 75 near exit 32 in Middletown and near exit 29 in Monroe a vehicle reportedly went over the embankment.
In West Chester Twp., subcontractors were called in to supplement the work force. “Subcontractors in smaller trucks will begin work on the township’s 600 cul-de-sacs,” township spokeswoman Barb Wilson said.