A car drives past a sidewalk filled with ice and snow along Clay Street west of the Cherry Street intersection Thursday. The ice and snow were left from the New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day storm that blew in 1.3 inches of the white stuff. (The Vicksburg Post/PAT SHANNAHAN)

[01/05/01] Streets in Vicksburg that were closed starting with Sunday night’s snowfall were reopened Thursday afternoon when warmer air arrived and melted remaining ice.

Back in business were the heavily traveled hills on Clay Street between Cherry and Monroe, Walnut and Washington and Mulberry and Washington. Also reopened were South Street between Walnut and Washington, John Allen Drive and a portion of Porters Chapel Road.

James T. “Bubba” Rainer, public works director for the city, said having to keep the roads closed for more than one day was out of the ordinary.

“Normally if we have ice or snow it will go well above freezing the very next day and it is not a problem,” Rainer said.

After an official 1.3 inches of snow fell in Warren County New Year’s Eve, temperatures have remained bitterly cold at night and although the sun shone brightly, the mercury has not climbed much over the freezing mark during the day.

“What we had this time was that it would melt just a little during the day and then quickly refreeze,” Rainer said. Especially treacherous were streets shaded by trees, buildings or hillsides.

The temperature reached an almost balmy 51 degrees on Thursday, which allowed the roads to be traveled safely.

Priscilla Bridenstine, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Jackson, said temperatures for the week were about 15 degrees lower than normal for this time of year.