The first snow of the year seems to be very trying on most
people. You would think, hey, we’re from
Minnesota, we know about this stuff. We
all forget about some of it. We need to
learn to drive in the stuff, again. That
means no erratic changes in direction, slow acceleration and giving yourself
plenty of time to slow down and stop.
Then there is snow removal.
Walkways and driveways get attention from property owners. Streets get attention from the public works
crew. Their plowing skills are a bit
rusty but like riding a bike they don’t forget how it is done.
But the first snow of the season has its special
challenges. The edges of roadways don’t
have the definitions they had without snow.
Snow blurs the lines with the blanket of white. With the first snow the applications of salt
and sand haven’t been seen in 6 or more months making it a bit more difficult
to scrape the road efficiently. With
applications of salt and sand from a previous snow event, the process of
removal becomes easier to accommodate.
In addition, without the sand or salt residual, traction can be a
problem. This effects not only vehicles
moving around but also the snow plows. The
first snow seems to always be wet and heavy.
Temperatures are such that the snow carries a lot of moisture and
therefore weight. Great snow ball or
snowman snow! Kids like it but plow
drivers get frustrated. Traction becomes
an issue. Weight of the snow off the
plow becomes an issue and the time it takes also becomes an issue. Often time the weight of the snow coming off
the plow can cause damage to mailboxes.
As winter progresses, we maintain a residual of salt sand on
the roads. The temperatures get colder
and the snows lose their high moisture content.
Snows are lighter in weight. The
plows move with greater speed and efficiency.
Road boundaries are well defined from previous snow events and the plow
drivers find their groove.
The drama of the first snow easies as we all remember (or
learn) how to deal with these things, these snow events, and the concept that
we may have to wait to get plowed out.
With 62 miles of roadway in the city and 5 personnel doing the work it
can take some time to get it all done.
Most residents understand but some new residents think it should be done
like they do in the metro area. The
resources aren’t here to do that. The
first snow always carries its problems and patience isn’t always there for
those who expect results. A wet large
snow fall as the first event of the year is always the hardest for all of us to
accept. Its winter!
