Just when it appeared road crews had a chance to catch their breath following one of the largest snowstorms ever to hit the county, residents woke up Saturday morning to see 2 more inches had fallen overnight. But it still didn’t measure up to the roughly foot of snow that had been dumped on the county earlier in the week. City, county and state crews continued to work this week to dig the county out and remove the large snow piles in the aftermath of last week’s major snowstorm. Warrenton crews are working to remove the snow piles along roadways and in cul-de-sacs left from plowing, while clearing areas in front of mailboxes. Meanwhile, county crews were working this week on making intersections wider and conversing with school district transportation officials to identify bus routes that remained slick for travel. Though the worst of the major snowstorm bypassed the county, local road supervisors were pleased with how their departments fared and performed even as crews worked nonstop over a several-day period. The Warrenton public works department and county road department employees worked 12-hour shifts and had their snowplow fleet of vehicles on the road as much as possible. It was reported that around a foot of snow fell in the county, though snowdrifts led to higher numbers in some areas. The county had been originally placed under a blizzard warning from 6 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 1, until noon Wednesday, Feb. 2, as forecasters expected 12 to 24 inches of snow to fall. However, the warning ended early as the larger amounts fell to the west and north. “Our staff performed excellent,” Warrenton Public Works Director Rob Hamlin said. “They all stepped up to the plate. They worked long hours and stayed with it.” Warren County Sheriff Kevin Harrison said the crews’ work was noticeable. “MoDOT and Warren County crews did a fantastic job getting our roads open and clearing drifts,” he said. “Everywhere I drove, the roads were clear or they were on top of it quick.” The Warren County Commission also complimented its road department. “We know they can’t be everywhere,” Northern District Commissioner Dan Hampson said. “They worked tirelessly, but they tried to get to as many people as they could and roads bladed in the most efficient manner.” Southern District Commissioner Hubie Kluesner added: “We’re always proud of the road crew and once again they shined.” Warren County road supervisor Gary Ruether said a few maintenance problems with the county’s fleet of vehicles slowed crews at times last week, but said few problems were reported. He said from Tuesday through Saturday, employees in his department worked 114 overtime hours. Ruether also pointed out that 600 tons of cinders were used last week, half of what the county figures to use during an entire winter season. He said the road department usually uses about 1,200 tons of cinders and 350 tons of salt in a winter season. The county also used its V-plow for the first time in around eight years. “It was normal snow removal basically,” Ruether said. “It was more quantity than anything.” Hamlin figured he had enough cinders to last through the winter, but ordered 80 more tons last week to fill up the city’s bin and hopefully last through the spring. “The biggest issue was the amount,” Hamlin said. “We did get spared from the bigger snow, but the snow we did receive was severe, especially at the rate it came down.” Last week’s storm also allowed Hamlin to get a quick gauge on a vehicle locator system recently implemented in the public works department. Three tracking systems were recently installed on three dump trucks to give real-time data on location and speed of a vehicle and allow Hamlin to review a vehicle’s travel during a specific date or time. He said the tracking system allowed him to see what roads had or needed to be plowed. “We were able to see what had been hit and how many times,” Hamlin said. “It worked very well. It was a good tool.” The storm led local emergency responder agencies to activate an emergency operations center (EOC) based at Warrenton Fire House No. 2, located on South Highway 47 in Warrenton, on Jan. 31. The agencies joined there to prepare and handle situation arising from the major storm. By Wednesday afternoon, the call volume had decreased dramatically and the EOC was closed. Two warming stations were also open a short time but few people took advantage of them according to officials. The stations were located at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Truesdale and Immanuel United Church of Christ in Wright City. To assist counties where larger amounts of snow fell, Gov. Jay Nixon ordered MoDOT to assist the counties by clearing snow from county-maintained roads. A MoDOT spokesman told The Associated Press Friday that plowing the state’s highways had cost about $5.5 million. She said that figure could be higher once the final costs of salt, snowplow fuel and overtime are in.