Swift winter punch

Even wonderlands have a downside.

Across Kootenai County and the rest of the Inland Northwest, snow arrived later than usual this year. But once the snow started to fly, it made up for the delay in record-breaking fashion, leaving a wintry wake in its path that could be felt from the city and county road crews left to deal with the mess, to local charities struggling to help those in need.

Following the season’s first major snowstorm almost 10 days ago, a several-foot dumping that kept many businesses closed and even more sidewalks impassable, a handful of wintry aftershocks turned the county into a snow-packed wonderland. In that time, area road crews have operated around the clock to keep things running as much as normal.

“The tempo is not the story, it’s the severity,” Coeur d’Alene’s Deputy City Administrator Jon Ingalls said. “This winter is actually on the late side … The number of storms is actually down for this time of year.”

In Kootenai County’s four highway districts, the dozens of trucks and road graders, including Lake City’s 16 heavy machines and Post Falls’ 12 machines, had crews racking up overtime hours, often working 12-hour shifts. Yet the cleanup cost hasn’t taken much of a toll on their operating budgets, those interviewed said, since the storms hit in rapid succession and the cold has negated the use of pricey de-icer treatments.

“We’re in good shape,” Ingalls said. “It’s too early to tell whether this is going to be the winter of all winters, but we’re in good shape so far.”

On the Rathdrum Prairie, the story is largely the same, although there were some setbacks when three of the city’s snowplows broke down early in the week and winds on the prairie piled up drifts that blocked some roads. “That really hurts our operation, even when one machine breaks down. Pretty much our equipment has been running nonstop, and they’ve taken a beating in the process,” said Jim Porter, the city’s street superintendent. Porter and the rest of the city’s road crew maintain almost 150 miles of roadway.

He added, “Out on the prairie, it’s hard to even keep some of the roads open.”

Porter’s advice? “Just be patient,” he said.

Post Falls Highway District commissioner Lynn Humphreys said the district’s annual budget of about $3 to $4 million doesn’t include a specific amount for snow removal, so money spent during last week’s plowing might instead spill over into future projects, such as possibly limiting summer road repairs. All told, the highway district oversees more than 400 miles of road that covers both lanes of traffic.

“We’re in excellent shape as far as our budget at this particular time,” Humphreys said, adding that it’s too premature to tell if it will affect projects later on. “We’ve been working quite a few hours of overtime, but that’s what we are here for, to keep the roads cleared for the public.”

The snow-clogged streets have tested the winter driving skills of many people, but when Christmas is on the line, it has to be done, said Jason Smith, a Bonners Ferry resident who is in town to finish gift-shopping.

The roads “have been good, especially with how much they’ve had to keep up with,” Smith said, while walking between stores at the Silver Lake Mall. “I’m down here doing some shopping, so the roads haven’t kept me from driving.”

For some longtime residents, the winter deluge is just a part of life in North Idaho, regardless of the record books.

“It’s deep, and it keeps my husband busy” said Karen Mills, a 50-year resident who was also finishing her shopping at the mall. The roads, she added, “have been pretty good. In fact, we live on a side street and we got plowed pretty fast after the first storm. Compared to how much snow we got in such a short time, it’s hard to keep up with.”

Perhaps feeling the fallout more than other groups are local charities, where a downturned economy and substantial snowfall have combined for fewer donations. For example, St. Vincent de Paul has seen a nearly 26 percent drop in contributions this year, said Jeff Conroy, director of the organization.

“We’ve gone through all the donated funds, and now we are dipping into our reserve funds” to serve the needy, Conroy said, adding that St. Vincent will have served more than 17,000 meals to about 10,000 different visitors this year alone. “Because of the economy, we are seeing more families. That’s the most astounding thing, we’re the richest country in the world, and yet there are families with nothing – it’s not right,” he said.

As for the snow and cold temperatures, the director said it means the homeless are not able to get out and about as much. So, together with Fresh Start in Coeur d’Alene, the two groups opened a warming shelter at the corner of Fifth Street and Coeur d’Alene Avenue.

While St. Vincent’s has a stockpile of blankets and socks readily available, “the things we need right now are protein. Everybody needs meat,” Conroy said.

While the people of North Idaho have always shown tremendous compassion for the disadvantaged in the past, Conroy said there are still many people in need right now. “This community’s capacity for giving is just amazing,” he said. “We know times are tough, but there are people who have it harder than you. There are people living on the streets, living in the woods with this snow right now.”