Cleanup operations continue after a Nor’easter barreled through Dartmouth on February 9.

The winter storm prompted a blizzard warning and produced white out conditions, according to the National Weather Service. A trained weather spotter reported 12.8 inches of snow in Dartmouth as of 5:53 p.m. on February 9. It produced a rare phenomenon  called "thundersnow" and left downed trees and power outages in its wake.

Dartmouth Department of Public Works Director David Hickox said about 31-32 pieces of equipment and a total of 40 employees were out working at the height of the blizzard to clear Dartmouth’s roadways.

Hickox said a number of factors threw the department’s response plans in limbo. Primary roads were treated with a liquid brine on Wednesday, and on Thursday morning roads were salted. However, mid-morning rain not in the forecast washed a lot of it away.

“Unfortunately, the rain that came in and impacted pretreatment,” Hickox said. “It took longer to get roads to bare pavement.”

Another factor the department has to contend with: temperature changes rendered the road salt less effective, delaying the time it takes to clear snow off of roadways. As of 3 p.m., crews are still out working.

“As of this afternoon, the primary roads are really starting to take shape,” Hickox said, adding that crews will be back out tonight treating roads, because low temperatures will create icy conditions overnight once the sun goes down.

Plow operators also had to contend with downright dangerous conditions, as Hickox said visibility was significantly reduced during the storm.

Dartmouth’s fire districts responded to the threat of a blizzard with extra manpower at stations. Dartmouth Fire District No. 1 Chief Brad Ellis and District No. 3 Chief Richard Arruda said extra firefighters were on hand at fire stations during the storm.

Ellis said his department responded to a total of six calls during the storm, well above the department’s 1-2 average. Most were for medical calls, and with extra manpower an engine was able to respond to assist in the harsh conditions.

Even when the storm ended, it was not the end of storm-related calls, as Ellis said the department responded to a motor vehicle accident involving a snow plow on Smith Neck Road at 10 a.m. on February 10. No injuries were initially reported, he said.

At District No. 3, Arruda said his department responded to three calls during the storm. A large tree came crashing down at the 1100 block of Old Fall River Road, destroying a telephone pole and left the road closed for a number of hours. Arruda said reports of trees taking down poles have decreased over the years thanks to a tree maintenance program by Eversource and the town.

“[The program] has greatly reduced our wire down problem during snow emergencies,” Arruda said.

Arruda and Ellis both offered the same advice to residents as they dig out from the storm: take it easy. The snow is wet and heavy, so it’s important to know your limits. Residents are also asked to ensure fire hydrants are cleared of snow.

Dartmouth Police Det. Kyle Costa said several motor vehicle accidents were reported throughout the day, but none resulted in serious injuries. While the department did not increase staffing, Costa issued several public service announcements via social media urging motorists to stay off the road, which appeared to work.

“We appreciate the response we had to our warnings. It made our jobs easier with less traffic on the roads,” Costa said.

Costa added that as the town digs out from the storm, residents should be familiar with the town by-laws relating to shoveling sidewalks, as it is up to property owners to clear the sidewalks in front of their property.