Lingering snow and ice from the Jan. 25 storm have forced the postponement of the Polar Bear Splash and Snowflake 4-Mile Run in Long Beach.
Informally known as Fern, the winter storm dumped 11 inches of snow in whiteout conditions. Because of the prolonged subfreezing conditions, it’s making the snow and ice more difficult to clear.
The Polar Bear Splash, which was initially scheduled for Feb. 8, was postponed for the first time in its 26-year history. Pete Meyers, a cofounder of the event, cited health and safety risks as the reason. “It’s going to be too cold,” he said. “My weather app is predicting 36 mph winds on Sunday, and we don’t want people slipping or falling on the ice.” The new date will be March 15.
Long Beach Chief of Lifeguards Rich Borawski applauded Meyers for making the decision, and explained that the current water temperatures could cause hypothermia to set in nearly as soon as someone enters the water. “We don’t want to put anybody in harm’s way, and that includes the people that are generous enough to donate the money and go in there,” he said.
With some residents posting on social media that they would be going ahead with unofficial, personal plunges, Police Commissioner Richard DePalma announced the city would be taking preventive steps to stop the idea.
DePalma said officers, along with employees from the Department of Public Works, will block off beach entrances on the boardwalk and increase security to deter people from entering the waters.
Like the plunge, the annual Snowflake 4-Mile Race has also been rescheduled, and will take place on March 7.
At the city council meeting on Feb. 3, Ken Arnold, the commissioner for Long Beach’s Department of Public Works, said hardened snow creates a risk for employees and equipment. He also noted that salt has limited ability to melt ice and snow when temperatures drop below 20 degrees.
During the initial cleanup, 40 to 60 residents were reported to have not moved their vehicles off the snow emergency routes. Arnold said that navigating streets with parked cars prevents trucks from adequately clearing snow, especially on dead ends.
As the city enters the next phase of its snow removal efforts, they reminded residents and business owners to ensure their sidewalks are cleared. Crews will be spending this week and next going block-to-block along Broadway, from New York to Maple. They will also be addressing sidewalks and other critical areas that need further attention.
On Facebook, residents in a group titled “Long Beach City” were divided on the city’s snow removal plan. Marlo Knox questioned the need for multiple cleanups, and called them redundant and a duplication of efforts.
“Plowing the roads effectively doesn’t have to translate into the entire city digging out, or sidewalks becoming an American Ninja Warrior episode,” Knox wrote. “Our services can do better.”
Other users like Laura Colona came to the defense of the workers, saying that Long Beach “did a great job given the circumstances.”
“Roads were drivable the day after the storm,” she said. “There’s nothing anyone can do about snow that won’t melt with the freezing temperatures.”
At the city council meeting, Long Beach City Manager Dan Creighton thanked public works employees for working “around the clock” during the storm, and acknowledged the frustrations of residents.
“This has been a very challenging storm,” he said. “We acknowledge there are lessons to be learned to improve our operations and implementations for future storms. We appreciate everyone’s patience and cooperation.”
