Snow

 Looking at the RADAR , it looks bad but not as bad as I had feared. About a quarter of the front has passed Carbondale as of 5:30 p.m. and the snow is very fine. 

Weather

 From what I have heard, a tornado touched down in the Cedar Lake area last night during the storms. 55 mph winds over in the Harrisburg area.

Snow

 Flurries of unseasonable snow hit the area today, though it has al melted off. Pictures I saw from southwest Missouri showed about an inch or so on the ground so we outght to be happy that we got no more than flurries and chilly weather.

Flash Flooding

 NWS has issues a flash flood warning until 9 a.m. tomorrow. Be careful if driving across any low areas with water on the road.  Better to go around if possible than getting your car flooded out or washed away.

Rain

 So far at least an inch of rain in Carbondale but no flooding that I have seen. The NWS reports that streets in Marion have seen significant flooding since the rain start with at least one car stopped by the water. Rain is supposed to continue through Saturday with another 1-2 inches falling. Glad we have pretty good sewer systems, though I have not seen the intersection of Mill and Illinois or Cherry and Illinois, which are prone to flooding. 

Flood Warning

 Looks as if the area is under a flood warning until sometime tomorrow morning. By my estimate, we have already received 3 inches or almost 8 cm since last night.

Snow

 Looking at assorted reports, it appears we received anywhere from 4 to 8 inches in the Carbondale area.  The wind blowing it around produced drifts of  3to 4 feet deep.  I measured one spot near downtown that had not drifted that was  8" deep.Town square parking lots have  not been plowed as of mid afternoon and I nearly got stuck in the un plowed Staples lot.

Snow and Ice

I guess we want to be very careful with buses on the roads these days but it sure does not seem like it takes very much in the way of snow to warrant a complete shutdown of the school systems throughout southern Illinois.

However drivers didn't do very well yesterday, which may account for the caution. State police reporter over 70 accidents due to the weather in southern Illinois

Winter Storm

Well it appears the winter storm was not quite as bad as predicted. We did get a thin layer of ice and sleet on top of it but the total was less than an inch. Still enough to make driving hazardous though so probably a good thing we had all the closures throughout the region. Clouds are supposed to move out of the area tomorrow, so supposed to be sunny and cold.

Snow Removal

It looks as if the city has gotten a bit more serious about snow removal from sidewalks.  A representative from Building and Neighborhood Services stopped in to drop off a copy of the Carbondale Revised Code dealing with sidewalk snow removal.  Specifically, owners and occupants of properties adjoining in public sidewalks are required to clean them within 48 hours after the end of a snow or other freezing precipitation. Of course, being the city, instead of just saying clean a path off the sidewalk, the ordinance specifies said path must be at least 30 inches wide.

Thai Taste Still Closed

Apparently the plumbing problems at Thai Taste are pretty considerable as the restaurant has remained closed for over a week..  The main drain pipe broke during the big freeze earlier this month, necessitating major repairs as well as paperwork on which others have to sign off.  From the business' Facebook page:

Let us start by saying we are NOT going anywhere. The fact of the matter is, our main drain line is broken. Unfortunately, the pipes do not run under just our building alone. Steps have to be taken to ensure that all parties and property owners' interests and concerns are addressed in case anything should happen during repairs. Sadly, not all parties involved live in the area. It has taken some time to get ahold of them and present them with paperwork.

Timing has been our enemy since Day One. When the plumbers were ready to go, the paperwork was not. And now that the paperwork is nearing completion, the plumbers are unavailable. There have been people working diligently since the beginning to help us get things accomplished as quickly as possible, including one individual who probably wishes we'd never contacted him in the first place!

It is both flattering and humbling that so many of you are concerned with our well being. We truly appreciate it, and deeply apologize for any inconvenience, especially to our wonderful staff, who have essentially been unemployed for over a week.

Rest assured, we are not dead. We have come back from worse. This is just a hiccup. We WILL be open again very soon.

Sidewalks

It has been a week since Mother Nature kindly dumped a foot of snow upon Carbondale.  City ordinances say that home owners, rental tenants and business owners have 48 hours to clear their sidewalks or face a fine.  Given the number of still uncleared sidewalks in downtown and the near Northwest side, including some in front of a couple of law offices, the city should be able to put a significant dent in its pension shortfall by ticketing those places with uncleared walkways.

Snow Routes

Here's a link to the snow route map for Carbondale. Red marked streets are cleared first, then green marked ones.  The city will tackle streets unmarked on the map only after those two are in good shape.  I was slightly bothered to see so much effort put into incremental clearings of Main and Illinois when there were so many side streets that shell has ice and snow coverings.

City Hall Closing

Due to the weather, City Hall closes at noon today:

In view of deteriorating weather conditions, Carbondale City Hall will close at 12:00 (noon) today, December 6, 2013. City Hall offices will reopen on Monday, December 9, 2013 at 8:00 a.m.

The Police Department, Fire Department, and Public Works will continue to operate.

Lights Fantastic Parade Cancelled

According to this post on Facebook, tomorrow's Lights Fantastic Parade has been canceled and will not be rescheduled for  to the following reasons:

rescheduling isn't an option due to various factors, including paperwork with IDOT, SIU graduation next week, etc. the city used brining solution on sidewalks and streets before the sleet started, and we have many other steps to ensure a safe and enjoyable 23rd Annual Lights Fantastic Parade!

There may be a float viewing next Saturday though. 

Storms

Not sure about the damage in the rest of  the area but took a quick drive around town last night and down 127 and 146 this morning and saw no damage from the storms yesterday.  Did hear reports of waterspouts forming over Cedar Lake but nothing about any damage in the area.

Public Safety Station

According to city manager Alan Gill, it wasn't just high winds that damaged the roof of the new public safety center but a microburst.  Gill says that the first floor of the building is undamaged and most of the second floor is usable as well.  Only the section of offices used by Chief O'Guinn suffered too much damage for occupancy currently.  No idea as to when repairs commence, how much they will cost or which insurance company will pay for them.

Storm Info

Press Release from the city about last night's storm:

CITY OF CARBONDALE ADVISORY

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The City of Carbondale experienced damage due to powerful winds associated with the storm that passed through southern Illinois late on Tuesday, April 19. Numerous trees and limbs were down, causing temporary road closures and widespread electrical outages along with some damage to private property.

Residents are urged to check their homes for any possible damage and consult with their insurance carriers as necessary. Residents should be aware of contractors or others who may seek to do immediate repair work that is not necessary or seems to be unwarranted.

Residents are requested to notify utility service providers if they are aware of downed power lines and to notify the City of any lines or trees blocking roadways. Residents should not attempt to clear wires or trees that are impeding the right of way.

Significant damage was sustained by the City of Carbondale Police Department at our new Public Safety Center. However, all services are being provided and the Center is functioning fully at 501 South Washington Street. Temporary road closures around that structure are in place while debris and building clean-up is under way.

If assistance is needed please contact the Police Department as usual, or in case of emergency call 911.

A Disaster Emergency Proclamation was ordered by Mayor Brad Cole at 11:30 p.m. on April 19, 2011 and is in effect. Notices to the public will be provided through regular media sources, and information may be obtained at City Hall, as it becomes available.

Winter Weather

The city sent out this press release:

Reports from the National Weather Service have placed Carbondale on the fringe of bad winter weather, with the possibility of rain, freezing rain, ice and/or snow. Although the weather forecast remains uncertain, City staff will continue to monitor the temperatures and types of precipitation. Resources will be deployed as necessary based on roadway conditions, power outages, downed power lines or tree limbs, etcetera. The City's trucks have had been fitted with snow plows and are prepared to be loaded with road salt and cinders if necessary. Other equipment such as generators, chain saws and backhoes are also ready to handle other weather emergencies as needed.

The City has been in touch with the utility service providers and will monitor any outtages or emergencies in cooperation with the local managers.

Motorists are asked to use caution when driving, especially on side streets and over bridges. Those persons that do not need to travel are asked to remain at home until the streets are cleared.

The City appreciates your understanding.

Road Closure

Courtesy of the Chamber of Commerce:

Due to the severe weather, the Illinois Department of Transportation will be closing Route 13 tonight for a short period of time, approximately 15 minutes, in two locations:

1) IL 13, just west of Spillway Road
2) Just west of the intersection of IL 13 and Cambria Road

This work is planned for tonight, May 14, between 6:30 pm and 7:00 pm.

They apologize for any inconvenience, ask for your patience, and suggest finding an alternate route if you can.