GREENFIELD — Saturday’s snowstorm forced even the jolliest of souls to alter his weekend plans.
The Orange Municipal Airport had planned for Santa Claus to land at roughly 11:45 a.m. to wish a merry Christmas to the area’s little boys and girls, but the airport canceled the event due to the 8 to 9 inches of fluffy stuff that fell from the sky. Airport Operations Manager Bryan Camden said only 3 to 5 inches were expected.
Camden said the airport was closed until 4 p.m. on Saturday. He mentioned Sunday’s warmer weather was melting most of the snow and ice. Camden said Santa is unavailable before Christmas so the event is being rescheduled for next year. He said a message announcing the cancellation was recorded on the airport’s answering machine on Saturday. This would have been the event’s second year, he said.
A visit from Saint Nick wasn’t the only cancellation on Saturday. The rehearsal for longtime resident and music director Bob Ellison’s final community Christmas concert was called off due to poor road conditions. The concert was still held at Orange Town Hall on Sunday.
The Greenfield Conservation Commission canceled its “pre-harvest and bird assessment walk” that was scheduled for the GTD/Griswold Conservation Area on Saturday. The walk has been rescheduled for Jan. 7.
Sgt. Dave McKearney, of the Shelburne State Police barracks, said there were “a lot of spin-outs and cars off the road” over the weekend. He counted four accidents on Sunday, but said there were no reported injuries that he knew of. McKearney advises people to always wear their seat belts and to slow down on icy roads.
“Reducing speed does a lot to reduce accidents,” he said.
Montague Dispatcher Katie Chapdelaine said she worked from 3 p.m. on Saturday to 3 a.m. on Sunday and said there were no accidents, though drivers and police officers reported “ice skating rink conditions.”
Meteorologist Tom Bevacqua said Saturday’s snowstorm dumped 8 inches at his house in Greenfield. He said the National Weather Service predicted 4 to 6 inches for the area, and he agreed with the prediction.
“It was a good call but, clearly, it was an undershot,” he said. “It was a little bit more than anyone — anyone — I know expected.”
Bevacqua said driving conditions on most roads were difficult on Saturday, though Interstate 91 was fine when he drove to Springfield. He said Greenfield residents can expect another cold spell today, with temperatures dropping to around zero. He said, after that, temperatures are likely to stay seasonable (low to mid-30s) for the rest of the week.
You can reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com