Winter weather keeps crews busy clearing roadways in Madison, Yancey counties

MADISON COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — A blanket of snow fell across Madison County early Saturday morning.

In Marshall, a couple inches of snow had fallen by mid-morning.

Road crews say some places in the county saw three or more inches, with close to six expected at the highest elevations.

Winter weather is keeping DOT trucks on the roads.

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In Madison County, officials say about 20 crew members are working to clear roadways.

In Yancey County, about 15 DOT workers are doing the same.

The focus is on primary routes first, then secondary roadways once the snow slacks.

Gabriel Johnson, NCDOT maintenance engineer for Madison and Yancey counties, told News 13 the wind has made their efforts more challenging.

“As the wind blows, obviously the snow blows with it, blows back across the road," Johnson said. "So you’re continually having to clear areas that you’ve already cleared. Those also can be dangerous for motorists, as you have areas that are black pavement and dry almost and then all of the sudden you hit a patch of snow.”

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Crews will continue working into Saturday night and Sunday to clear icy spots that remain.

Officials caution drivers to continue to expect slick road conditions into Saturday night and even black ice for the Sunday morning drive.

CLICK HERE to view NCDOT's real-time road conditions map (Toggle the Snow & Ice button on).