Snow causes more than normal vehicle crashes

More vehicle crashes than normal were reported in several Pee Dee counties Tuesday, likely because of the snowy weather, according to the S.C. Highway Patrol.

“We’ve had many more (wrecks reported) than those for a normal day,” S.C. Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. Sonny Collins said. “On (Tuesday ) more wrecks seemed to be in Florence and Dillon counties throughout the mid-morning hours.”

Florence County Emergency Management Natural Hazards Coordinator Kristy Hughes said about seven vehicle crashes had been reported since 5:30 a.m Tuesday — about the same time snow began to fall in the Pee Dee.

It is not clear, however, if these crashes were a direct result of the weather, Hughes said. It’s also unknown how many motorists were injured as a result of a weather-related crashes. But, it seemed the weather didn’t cause any major property damage in the county.

The weather did, however, prompt school and business closings and delays Tuesday, with more delays planned for early Wednesday.

The town of Quinby had the most snowfall reported in Florence County, with 2.5 inches, while other parts of the county reported significantly less, according to the National Weather Service. The estimated total snowfall for Florence County was about one inch.

An inch of snow also fell in Darlington County, but emergency officials didn’t see many vehicle crashes, Darlington County Emergency Management spokesman Lynwood Epps said.

“We’ve had an extremely quiet day,” he said. “I don’t know why, maybe people are inside watching the inauguration or maybe because of the weather. We’ve had about half the number of accidents we usually have.”

A few crashes were reported in Marlboro County, Collins said.

Snowfall in areas of that county were reported to be in excess of two inches, according to the National Weather Service.

At least three inches of snow fell in Chesterfield County near Ruby, which reported the most amount of snow in the Pee Dee, along with Dillon County where as many as three inches was reported in several municipalities, including Dillon and Hamer, National Weather Service data showed.

No snowfall is expected today but troopers and S.C. Department of Transportation officials said the moisture from Tuesday’s snow is expected to freeze and warned of icy road conditions.

Bridges and overpasses are especially dangerous and prone to ice formation, Collins said.

Motorists should also be on the lookout for shady areas on the roadways where ice patches frequently form.

WBTW News13 meteorologists Frank Johnson and Melissa Hoeman said they expect cloud cover to give way to sunny, but cold, conditions Wednesday when temperatures aren’t expected to rise above 43 degrees. The sunny weather should continue Thursday with temperatures climbing to about 57 degrees.