First snowstorm of season blankets Warwick area

WARWICK — Local residents were reminded last Saturday that this is winter. In what has been an unusual season, the first significant stow storm since the pre-Halloween storm last year deposited from three to as much as six inches of fresh snow in the higher elevations surrounding the Town of Warwick. Although local ski areas had plenty of machine made snow, they enjoyed larger crowds on Sunday because natural snow on the roads encourages people to think about winter sports. Those who enjoy snow tubing, sledding and cross-country skiing, all of which depend on Mother Nature for snow, also welcomed the storm. Children and their parents finally had an opportunity to try out their new sleighs and tubes. On Sunday Stanly-Deming Park in the Village of Warwick, for example, was a beehive of activity. Those who hate snow were not terribly inconvenienced by the modest accumulation. And since the storm occurred on the weekend, no school snow days were needed. There were also no serious road accidents although the Warwick Police Department reported that there were a number of disabled vehicles, a term used to describe a vehicle that has skidded off the road. Although Town of Warwick Supervisor Michael Sweeton is happy that children and winter sports enthusiasts had an opportunity to enjoy the snow, the lack of it this winter has been an extra dividend for the Town. “It’s been good for our budget,” said Sweeton. “We can shift funds that would have been used for snow removal to road repairs. Every day without snow is a plus for us.”