Rt. 378 looking south toward Black River Road as snow began to fall in Lower Saucon Township on the afternoon Nov. 15. What began as just a few flakes would rapidly go on to become the November snowstorm of the century, and a record-breaker, with more than 8 inches officially measured at Lehigh Valley International Airport.
At their most recent meeting Nov. 21, Lower Saucon Township Council praised its public works department for its efforts after a record-breaking early snowstorm dropped eight inches of snow across the Lehigh Valley on Nov. 15.
“Our public works crew did a fantastic job in this last snow,” Township Manager Leslie Huhn said. “They were prepared for this snow. We knew it was coming.” The storm wreaked havoc on drivers, turning short trips into long journeys that lasted hours for many travelers.
“It was really difficult for them to plow the roads because everyone was trying to get home,” Huhn said, adding that even big trucks were slipping. Huhn said township crews began treating Lower Saucon roads at 7:45 a.m., with a total of 14 vehicles deployed.
Huhn also said one of the biggest challenges for township crews was a lack of PennDOT plow vehicles out on state roads.
“Our crew was out trying to clear our roads,” she said, adding that extra township police officers were also out in the storm helping stuck motorists, which was particularly an issue on PennDOT roads such as Route 378.
The storm officially brought 8.1 inches of snow to Lehigh Valley International Airport, making it the greatest snowfall from a single November storm in nearly a century. National Weather Service records in Allentown date back to 1922.
Lower Saucon Township council meetings are held on the first and third Wednesday of every month, beginning at 7 p.m. at Lower Saucon Town Hall.
The next meeting will be held on Dec. 5.
That meeting was to have been the second-to-last council meeting of the year, but a special advertised meeting is now scheduled to be held on Thursday Dec. 13 at 6 p.m.
The purpose of that meeting will be to interview applicants for a council seat recently vacated by longtime councilman Glenn Kern following a long struggle with health issues.
