Salyers: Mount Vernon continues cleanup after winter storm

An update Monday at noon about Mount Vernon's efforts to clean up following Winter Storm Fern from Mount Vernon Safety-Service Director Tanner Salyers

To the Residents of Mount Vernon:

Our Public Works Team has been working diligently and consistently since Winter Storm Fern impacted our community, prioritizing heavily trafficked areas and the most hazardous locations to make them passable. Despite these efforts, the extremely low temperatures are significantly reducing the effectiveness of road salt, and excessive snow accumulations continue to complicate our ongoing operations.

That said, our team has made considerable progress in clearing the main routes throughout the City, and commuter traffic is now passable in those areas.For the safety of our residents, as well as our public safety and public service crews, we strongly urge you: if you do not need to travel, please avoid doing so. Our current Snow Emergency remains at Level 2, and conditions are still hazardous.

To ensure transparency with the public moving forward, here are key points about the current and upcoming situation:

1. Extremely cold temperatures are forecast to persist throughout this week. This will continue to limit the efficacy of our treatment measures and will eliminate virtually all natural snow melt. As a result, the snow will be sticking around for quite some time.

2. There is a significant road salt shortage across the region, and we will not be receiving another delivery this week. Our next scheduled delivery may be our last for the season, so we must conserve and strategically apply the salt we have remaining.

3. Our Public Works Team is now shifting its focus to side streets to improve accessibility for residents throughout the City. We recognize that pushing this volume of snow often results in piles forming in front of driveways and alleyways. Of course this is unintentional and also unavoidable as we work to clear paths in the streets. If you are able, please remove your vehicles from the street and park them in a garage, driveway, or parking space off an alleyway. This will allow our crews to clear more effectively and provide greater accessibility for everyone.

We also ask that you continue to check on friends, family, and neighbors during this prolonged cold spell. Be vigilant about potential freezing pipes and lines as temperatures drop further, and exercise extreme caution with fire safety if using alternative heating sources like space heaters or electric blankets.

Please note that the regularly scheduled Mount Vernon City Council meeting slated for the evening of 1/26 has been postponed. A new date will be determined by Council and announced soon, at the direction of the President of Council.

We appreciate your patience, cooperation, and understanding as we continue to address the impacts of this storm. Our teams remain committed to serving the community and will provide updates as conditions evolve.

Stay safe, 

Tanner Salyers, Safety-Service Director