LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The holiday weather's gift of snow was pleasant for a lot of local residents, but it provided headaches for drivers and plenty of work for county road crews.

However, county Road Superintendent Steve Stangland said Monday that things over the weekend went “great,” with his staff able to respond quickly to the situation the weather created.

“We came through it really well,” Stangland said.

Several of his road staff came in on New Year's Day, giving up their holiday to work on clearing the roads.

“I can't thank those guys enough,” Stangland said. “They did an excellent job.”

Stangland said the area of the county hit hardest by snowfall was Cobb, where there were two snowfalls of 6 to 10 inches each, he said.

That left Bottle Rock Road, Gifford Springs and Loch Lomond Road covered with snow. Stangland said Monday snow was still present in the Cobb area.

Along with Cobb, most of the county's snow-related road issues occurred in Kelseyville south of Mt. Konocti, the Clear Lake Riviera and Lower Lake, Stangland said.

Road crews plowed the Clear Lake Riviera, where Stangland reported about 4 inches of snow fell.

“We take care of the major roads first, then work our way into the subdivisions,” he said.

He added that sometimes people don't understand the order of clearing the roads, but he explained that it doesn't do much good to clear roads in front of homes when major roads aren't open.

Stangland said he has staffers from all three road division yards starting early, 4 a.m. shifts in order to clear the roads ahead of the commuter traffic.

Over the snowy holiday weekend, Stangland's road crews were able to help out partner agencies, such as Caltrans, and the city of Clearlake, where they kept the road open up to St. Helena Hospital Clearlake.

He said some of his staff spent Monday wrapping up their sanding of Cobb-area roads.

All three county road yards also spent the day stocking up on more sand, which Stangland said will be important to have on hand if the roads refreeze.

“Even though it's not raining or snowing, we still have to be out there,” he said.

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