Since Dec. 14, when the first heavy snow hit the local area, the city’s 20-man street crew had racked up a collective 1,000-plus overtime hours, according to George Williams, city public works director. The county road crew had chalked up 472 employee hours clearing county roads over the same period, according to Mike Dooley, county public works director. No cost figures on the overtime work were immediately available but they were expected to be “budget-taxers.”

There was due to be welcome warming into the mid-30s over the New Year’s Eve period but then 1984 was due to start out with more cold and perhaps another snowstorm.

The new year was also due to bring higher rates for some utilities, including telephone rates.