While spring arrived last week, winter weather kept its grip on the region Monday as up to 3 inches of snow fell on Schuylkill County.
An elderly couple from New Ringgold felt its wrath when they lost control of their sport utility vehicle about 11 a.m. on Tumbling Run Road in Blythe Township.
So did the ambulance that responded to the crash.
While attempting to make a two-point turn to leave the scene, the rear tires of the Pottsville/Schuylkill Haven EMS vehicle drove onto the south berm and got stuck, unable to get traction on the compacted slush.
"Volunteers from Yorkville Hose in Pottsville helped us out," Greg Tucci, the director of operations for the ambulance, said Monday.
Firefighters used a chain and other equipment to get the ambulance back on the road.
In the crash to which the ambulance was responding, Bob Kudile, 75, of New Ringgold, was driving his Ford Ranger XLT westbound on Route 2004. With him was his wife, Barbara Kudile, 70, and their dog, Jake.
While rounding a curve, Bob Kudile lost control and his vehicle spun counterclockwise, striking the south bank and rolling onto its driver's side.
No one was injured in the crash.
Responders included state police at Frackville, Blythe Township police and Pottsville and Mount Carbon firefighters.
While the winter of 2011-12 was wet and mild, the winter of 2012-13 was average for the region, with cold temperatures and occasional doses of snow.
"We're having below-average temperatures this week. The average for this time of year is a high of 50 and a low of 30. But this week, the highs will be around 40. But we should have normal temperatures for Easter weekend," Rob Radzanowski, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, State College, said Monday.
Snow accumulation varied between 1 and 3 inches in various places in the county.
Today, there's a 30 percent chance of snow and less than a half-inch of accumulation, with temperatures possibly reaching 40 degrees, according to weather.gov.
Since 2000, the average seasonal snowfall in Schuylkill County has been 43.2 inches. The winter with the most snow in that cluster was the winter of 2002-03, when there were 85.2 inches. The winter with the least snow in that cluster was the winter of 2001-02, when there were only 18 inches. The winter of 2011-12 was the second-least with 20.1, the NWS said previously.
This year, the snow totals for Schuylkill County differ slightly, depending on what side of the county you're on, according to information Radzanowski received Monday from two NWS Cooperative Observer sites in the county.
From July 1, 2012, to March 24, there's been 39.8 inches of snow in Mahanoy City and there's been 35.2 inches in Tamaqua, Radzanowsk said.
That doesn't count the totals for Monday, he said.