W.Va. town gets the most snow at 42 inches

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — It wasn't quite like winning Powerball, yet the small West Virginia town of Glengary is getting a lot of attention for receiving the most snow from the recent storm: 42 inches.

"Yeah, it's cool. That's about it," said Robert Bragg, who owns a heating and cooling business in the unincorporated town about 80 miles northwest of Washington. "We've still got to clear the snow. The notoriety doesn't help get rid of it."

Other cities weren't too far behind, including 40.5 inches in Shepherdstown, W.Va., and 39 inches each in Philomont, Va., and Jones Springs, W.Va., according to the National Weather Service.

Glengary has a couple hundred residents and a few intersections. The nearest gas station and grocery store are about eight miles away next to Interstate 81. Over the weekend, they might as well have been in another state. Nobody could go anywhere.

"I was not prepared for this," said Josh Kief, who owns a towing business and a home-contracting firm in Glengary.

The good news was residents stayed put for the most part, although Kief said there were a few who tried to brave the conditions. He was called to pull cars out of the snow and jumpstart dead batteries.

Bragg said Glengary's main road remained covered in snow Monday.

While he fielded plenty of calls from potential customers with home heating issues, "there's not much we can do about it," Bragg said. "We just can't get into a lot of the neighborhoods."

While primary roads such as interstates were clear, on some secondary routes, snow removal along the narrow, hilly terrain occurred at a slow pace. The state Department of Transportation said the storm caused 5-foot drifts along some roads in Preston County.

Department of Transportation spokeswoman Carrie Bly said equipment problems were the major issue for highway crews in the storm's aftermath. Mechanics were working continuously to keep equipment on the roads.

Bly said that due to several accidents along Interstate 64 Monday in South Charleston, crews closed some exit and entrance ramps in order to haul away piled-up snow.

A state of emergency declared by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin remained in effect Monday as agencies continued to assist counties with storm-response efforts. No deaths were reported.

Public schools were closed Monday in nearly all of West Virginia's 55 counties, and some counties canceled classes Tuesday.