Weiser schools will reopen Wednesday as community digs out from snow storms

Life is slowly coming back together in Weiser

Crews began clearing snow-clogged downtown streets late Monday and many of the city’s streets could be cleared within five days, Washington County Disaster Services officials say

Weiser schools, which met for four days and were then out for 10 days since Jan. 1, go back into session on Wednesday after excessive snow was removed from school roofs.

Downtown streets could be cleared by Wednesday, said Steve Penner, spokesman for Washington County Disaster Services. Motorists were asked not to park downtown area so workers could clear the streets from curb to curb, he said.

Weiser was inundated with snow beginning in late December. The National Weather Service and Washington County Disaster Services don’t have an exact amount. But Curly Baker, a resident who says he has meticulously measured the snow as it has fallen at his house, puts the total at 54 inches.

Removing snow is one of the city’s top goals after Washington County was named an emergency disaster area Sunday by Gov. Butch Otter. The estimated cost to Weiser for snow removal is $65,000. The city will likely get reimbursed for a portion of that because of the emergency declaration. The exact percentage of reimbursement hasn’t yet been determined, Penner said.

On Tuesday, another building — an antique shop on East Commercial Street in the downtown area — partially collapsed. No one was in the building at the time. Two well-known structures have also collapsed since the storms hit — a bowling alley and a Ridley’s grocery store, where the roof caved in. Disaster relief officials are still trying to determine the number of collapsed or damaged buildings. Weiser’s mayor Diana Thomas, estimates the number at from 12 to 15.

This story was originally published January 24, 2017 at 12:25 PM with the headline "Weiser schools will reopen Wednesday as community digs out from snow storms."