Northeast Dutchess County digs out, braces for more snow

Heavy snow blanketed Dutchess County on Sunday, Jan. 25, triggering a county-wide travel ban and a state of emergency.

Parts of the northeast corner of the county saw as many as 18 inches of snow. Temperatures are projected to remain below freezing well into next week.

Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency leading up to the storm, as did Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino.

Snowfall totals exceeded forecasts across northeast Dutchess County, with heavy, persistent bands producing more than a foot and a half of accumulation. Schools, municipal offices, churches and numerous community events were canceled or postponed through Monday as plowing operations continued and temperatures dropped into the single digits overnight.

Shawn Milton, an employee of the Stanford highway crew, assesses a plow truck on Friday, Jan. 23, in anticipation of the weekend's winter storm. He and his colleague Zach Zampko said Stanford's equipment was in good working order ahead of the storm.Photo by Nathan Miller

Road crews across the region said they felt prepared heading into the storm. While storms of this magnitude are relatively rare, crews expressed confidence that the cold temperatures would keep the snow lighter and easier to manage.

Visits to North East, Amenia, Washington, Stanford and Pine Plains found salt supplies well stocked and equipment in good working order ahead of the snowfall.

In Stanford, Highway Superintendent Jim Myers and his crew were strapping plows to trucks in the town garage on Friday morning, Jan. 23. Myers said the town was as ready as it could be — a sentiment echoed by highway departments throughout the region.

"You just got to stay on top of it," Myers said. "Keep going."

Labor shortages remain a concern during major storms, crew members said, noting that county and state resources can be stretched thin in more remote areas. In many towns, local road crews are only responsible for town-owned roads, with county and state crews often responsible for the numbered highways and routes.

Roads were covered with snow much of the day on Sunday, Jan. 25, as highway crews worked to keep up with snowfall rates of up to 3 inches per hour during the most intense parts of the storm. Photo by Nathan Miller

Some weather models are predicting that another winter storm may hit the Northeast on Sunday, Feb. 1, and Monday, Feb. 2. Predictions are still early, but they suggest more snow is coming.

Dutchess County operates a warming center assistance program through its Department of Child and Family Services. Residents in need of a safe, warm place to stay may call 845-486-3300 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or 211 after 5 p.m. for assistance in finding shelter.

Additional reporting by Christian Murray