Last week’s winter storm blanketed Harvard with snow followed by high winds, drifting snow, and frigid temperatures, and resulted in some minor accidents, all without injury. Schools and town buildings were closed Thursday, Jan. 4, and again on Friday, Jan. 5, but it was the wind and frigid cold that followed on Saturday and Sunday that caused the most problems for the town.
As reported to the National Weather Service by amateur observers, snowfall in Harvard totaled 6.05 inches, not an unusual amount for a New England winter storm. Worcester reported a record snowfall of 16.8 inches, breaking the city’s previous Jan. 6 record of 9.8 inches set in 1994.
Temperatures were another matter, plunging to negative territory by Sunday morning.
In Worcester, the temperature only reached just 6 above zero Saturday afternoon, tying the previous record for this date set in 1896. Worcester reached a record low of minus 9 degrees on Sunday morning, breaking the old record of minus 5 degrees set on that date in 1942.
Department of Public Works Director Tim Kilhart said in an interview that plowing went well during the storm and that all equipment continued to function in the extreme cold. He said the biggest problem was drifting snow during the two days following the storm, and employees had to return to work Friday night and Saturday to clear drifts from roads. This week, DPW workers were clearing drains in preparation for the milder temperatures and rain forecast for later in the week.
Drifting snow was the major factor in keeping schools closed for a second day on Friday. Superintendent Linda Dwight explained in an email, “Friday’s decision came down mainly to the issues with drifting. While main roads were fine, many smaller roads in Harvard were potentially dangerous due to snow drifts created by the high winds.”
The cold weather was not all bad news. David Neville and his son Wyatt (pictured) took advantage of the cold weather to build a backyard igloo where they spent the first hours of the new year. (Courtesy photo)
When the temperature plummeted to sub-zero levels on the weekend, a freeze protection sensor automatically shut down one of the heating zones in the Public Safety Building when it detected that the temperature of a coil unit was too close to freezing. Kilhart said the other five heating zones in the building were still functioning normally, and although the temperature in the basement was 61 degrees on Jan. 8, the other parts of the building were warmer. A contractor was called to fix the problem, and normal heat was restored by Tuesday, Jan. 9.
On Monday morning, Jan. 8, the sewer pump alarm went off at Town Hall. According to Town Administrator Tim Bragan, a contractor determined later that day that the valve to the sewer pipe was frozen and suggested putting hot water into the system to thaw the valve. The system was shut off, Town Hall closed early, and Kilhart ran hot water from the sinks into the system. Town Hall remained closed Monday night, and meetings scheduled to be held there were moved to Hildreth House and the Bromfield School library. Kilhart returned in the morning to test the system, which was once again functioning. Town Hall opened on schedule at 8 a.m. Tuesday morning. Bragan told the selectmen at their Jan. 9 meeting that insulation will be added to the top of the tank to prevent freezing in the future.
The schools also faced difficulties from the extreme cold. Facilities Director Mark Force reported that Hildreth Elementary School had “a boiler issue” Friday, Jan. 5, which required two calls to the HVAC service contractor. “The boiler burner couldn’t see the flame,” Force explained in an email, although nothing seemed wrong with the boiler itself. Force suggested that the problem might have been caused by the unusually high amount of natural gas being used because of the cold.
In other cold-related problems, HES Principal Josh Myler heard water spraying somewhere as he unlocked the elementary school Friday morning and discovered a burst pipe in the water heater closet. He stopped the leak by turning off the valve, and Force said the break can be repaired. The only other problem, Force noted, was a high level alarm on the sewage pump for the Bromfield House, which he was able to clear and reset.
“Other than that, so far so good,” Force concluded.
Katie Carlson of Carlson Orchards said that it’s too soon to tell if the extreme cold damaged any of the fruit trees. Although the trees are currently dormant, they can sustain damage if temperatures fall below minus 15 degrees, especially peach trees, which are more vulnerable than apple trees. Carlson also said snow cover helps to insulate the trees, so they were somewhat protected during the coldest days. The loss of the entire peach crop two years ago was the result of an extended period of unusually warm weather in early February, which coaxed the trees to begin “waking up,” followed by a few days of bitter cold.
