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Athens Under Level Two Snow Emergency – Schools Close – Winter Persists

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Athens was under a level-two snow emergency while Meigs and Vinton Counties were under a level three snow emergency Monday morning.

The level three designation limits travel to emergency traffic only.

Snow emergency levels and school closings were changing by the minute through the morning as snow continued to fall throughout the region making travel dangerous.

Alexander, Athens City, Athens Head Start, Nelsonville-York, Beacon School, Federal Hocking, Trimble, and Tri County Career Center canceled classes Monday morning as the latest round of snowfall made Southeast Ohio look like a scene from C.S. Lewis's Narnia.

Jeremiah Boyden – a snow plow operator for Perry Lawncare was plowing parking lots and driveways for businesses on East State Street in Athens. 

He had been working since 7 a.m. Sunday morning.

Boyden covers the region of Southeast Ohio from Columbus to New Lexington to Athens and back to Chillicothe.

While Athens was being hit hard with heavy snow Monday morning he said New Lexington was seeing just blowing snow.

Although this latest snow event hasn't been as bad as he expected he said this has been the worst winter he's experienced as a snow plow operator since 2003.

"The problem is everybody's out of salt," he said.  "I mean the bulk salt, ODOT's running out of it and they've got to conserve."

Boyden said he feels for the ODOT crews who are doing the best they can but they're being yelled at by motorists.

Boyden was plowing the Speedway lot on East State at 4:30 Monday morning, a job that takes about 20 to 25 minutes.

"You've gotta be careful because there are gas caps over there you don't want to rip off and there's the public here and you don't want to back into someone."

"The goal is to be as fast as you can – as safe as you can," Boyden said.

When the snow is gone in the spring he and the company he works for turns their attention to something else, mowing grass.

Asked when he'd get some sleep he said "when I get done."