 They're doing a good job. It's gonna work. Nothing disrupts daily routines quite like a winter storm. At their best, they're inconvenient. At their worst, they can be killers. Controlling the impact of winter storms is one of the most important jobs we do in highway maintenance. It saves money. It saves lives. This is the first of two programs covering snow and ice control. Here in part one, we'll look at equipment, supplies, your route, and the types of service. In part two, we'll look at types of snow, temperature considerations, and various plowing procedures. So let's get started, beginning with equipment. There's a separate program covering snow plow operation, so I'll just quickly cover the main points. Basically, the idea is to make sure everything works properly before you leave the yard. So check your heater, defroster, wiper blades, and lights. Look over the plow and sander, too. The cutting edge on the plow should extend below the plow itself. If the cutting edge has excessive wear, replace it. As for the sander, make sure the gate is opened to the proper setting, and that the deflectors are correctly set for the speed you'll be traveling. You'll also need to have some supplies on board, tire chains, towing chains, and a flashlight. Finally, check your brakes before you leave the yard. The added weight of a full load of material can make a big difference. Well, as I said, that's just a quick look. Again, the detailed procedures are covered in another program. Now let's look at the route you're responsible for. Long before it begins to snow, find out from your supervisor exactly where your responsibilities begin and end. There are two good reasons for knowing your route early. First, you can start looking for any trouble spots in areas that will require special attention, like hills, curves, and intersections. By making a mental note of these areas, you'll be better prepared to deal with them during a storm. Second, plowed areas have to connect, and it's entirely possible you'll get there before the snow plow on the connecting route. Depending on the conditions, you may have to plow beyond your assignment. So discuss the possibilities with your supervisor so you'll know what to do. OK, now let's look at types of service. The whole idea here is to give each road the best possible service, which isn't necessarily the same service. Urban interstate and other roads with a great deal of traffic are classified as type one. These roads receive the most frequent treatment. Interstate and roads with moderate traffic are classified as type two. Roads in areas with unusually heavy or light snowfall, or that require additional or exceptional treatment, are classified as type three. And finally, roads that would be virtually impossible to service through the winter are classified as type four. The procedure here is to simply close the road. OK, now that you know which roads are included in each type of service, let's take a look at the procedures and materials to use to clear them. Beginning with type one. As a general rule, type one service calls for keeping the total accumulation of snow on the road to an inch or less. So if it's snowing about an inch an hour, your route should be plowed every hour. As for material, you should use either straight salt or a salt abrasive mixture of one to one. The material should be applied as soon as possible, and then reapplied every six hours or so to give vehicles the best traction possible. Type two service is a little less frequent. Here we don't want any more than two inches of accumulation, so all roads requiring type two service should be plowed every two hours. Ice control material should be applied less frequently as well. As a general rule, you should apply a salt abrasive mixture of one to one to problem areas such as curves, hills, and severely icy areas on an as needed basis. Now all that means is that if applying material will improve traction, then by all means apply it. Now as I said earlier, type three service is used in special situations. And both the plowing frequency and the ice control procedures will be determined by your supervisor. So in this case especially, it's important to discuss your route with your supervisor long before the first storm. Now the last type of service, type four. The procedure here is to close the road through the winter. But there's one important thing to keep in mind. These roads are kept open as long as possible, so when you close one of them, drive its entire length to be sure that no one is stranded. And since I've brought up the subject of stranded motorists, here are two general guidelines to follow. First, if you come across someone miles from help, use your radio to get them the assistance they prefer, either a tow truck or a friend or relative. Only as an absolute last resort should you pull them out of trouble. We've had several cases of vehicles being damaged, resulting in lawsuits. And second, if you come across someone stuck in a residential area, a business district, or some other place where phones are readily available, do nothing. Remember, it's your responsibility to provide safe travel for everyone, not just a few. That brings us to the end of this first videotape covering snow and ice control. We've looked at getting your equipment ready, making sure you have all your supplies, knowing your route, providing different types of service for different types of roads, and what to do when you come across a stranded motorist. In the next program, we'll look at types of snow, temperature considerations, plowing procedures, and cleanup. Utah, the greatest snow on earth. In fact, it's so good, skiers don't even call it snow. They call it powder. The fact is, the snow we get in the valleys can be quite different from the snow we get in the mountains. And different snow calls for different procedures. So here in part two of snow and ice control, we'll look at types of snow, applying ice control material, plowing procedures, and cleanup. To begin with, there are really only two kinds of snow, wet and dry. Wet snow sticks to the pavement quickly. Dry snow is much lighter and doesn't stick as readily. It's important that you distinguish between these two types as you travel along your route. You'll see why as we look at applying ice control material. The material you'll use will be either straight salt or a salt abrasive mixture. Straight salt used to be spread at a rate of a quarter cubic yard per two-lane mile, and is to be used only for type one service. Salt abrasive mixtures, however, may be used for any type of service, and are to be applied at a rate of a half a cubic yard per two-lane mile. Raw material referred to the sander's spread chart to find the correct chain speed setting to use for the speed you're traveling. Hey, that's how much material to apply. Now let's look at the procedures for applying the two types of material, beginning with straight salt. The whole purpose for using straight salt is to create a brine. Brine forms between the pavement and the snow or ice, in effect, keeping the snow or ice from sticking to the pavement. When a good brine has formed, snow and ice can easily be plowed away. In order to get a brine to form, you have to apply the salt soon after the storm begins. That means when the pavement is barely white, and it's wet enough to hold the salt, notice I said wet enough. Again, different snow calls for different procedures. As you can see here, the pavement is dry and the snow is blowing across the road. Salting here would only make this situation worse. Instead of blowing across, the salt would hold the snow to the road. So when the snow is dry, don't salt until there is at least a half inch accumulation on the road. This situation, however, calls for immediate attention. The snow is wet and is sticking to the pavement. So here, the sooner you apply the salt, the better. That way the brine will begin forming right away. To apply the salt, stay as close to the center line as you can. That way as the snow melts, the brine will flow down across the lanes. The same idea applies to elevated curves. Here, though, stay on the high side of the curve close to the shoulder, so that the melting snow or ice will flow across the travel lanes. After you've applied salt to your route, wait at least an hour before plowing again. It takes at least that long for the brine to form. In many cases, you should reapply the salt every six hours or so. The exception to this rule is black ice. Black ice should always be treated as soon as you spot it. Other than treating black ice, the best way to tell if you need to add salt is to look at the slush thrown out by vehicle tires. If the slush is soft and fans out, there's no need for another application. There's still plenty of salt and brine on the road. But if the slush is stiff and thrown straight back, it's time for more salt. With watching the slush, you should also keep an eye on the temperature. Stop salting when the temperature falls below 15 degrees. At that point, it's just too cold for the salt to work. You'll have to switch to a salt abrasive mixture. Take the wind into consideration, too. You may have to change your position on the road if the wind is blowing the application where you don't want it. And finally, apply extra salt on both sides of bridge grates. You can do that easily by slowing the truck speed when you cross over them and leaving the chain speed setting the same. Keeping the drains clear is one of the most critical parts of snow and ice control. And those are the procedures for applying straight salt. Now let's look at applying salt abrasive mixtures. There are several major differences. First, the application rate. With salt abrasive mixtures, you'll be applying a half a cubic yard per two-lane mile. So be sure the gate opening is set correctly. Second, a salt abrasive mixture will not form as good brine as straight salt. So at the outset of the storm, it's not always necessary to apply the mixture everywhere. Instead, concentrate on trouble spots. The idea here is more to provide traction than to melt the snow. Of course, if traction is a problem all along your route, then apply material all along your route. And finally, because the brine doesn't form as well, don't be concerned with the slush. The rule to follow here is to apply material wherever it's needed. Okay, that's the procedure for applying snow and ice control materials. Now let's look at plowing procedures. The general rule to keep in mind for all plowing is to start at the center of the road and push the snow off to each side. With that in mind, let's look at the procedures for plowing two-lane opposing traffic four-lane divided, multi-lane divided, plowing near traffic islands and barriers, ramps and gores. For two-lane opposing traffic, the first pass is made in the center of the road. And if you're plowing in tandem, the second plow picks up the windrow and partially clears the shoulder. The procedure is then repeated in the other direction. For a four-lane highway, one method is to plow in tandem with another truck. The lead truck plows the right lane and pushes the snow off to the right shoulder. The following truck plows the left lane, pushing the snow to the left and into the median. The plow in the left lane should overlap the pass made by the first truck to remove any windrow snow left between the lanes. The procedure is then repeated on the other side of the road. The first truck clears the right lane, pushing snow to the right. The second truck follows, overlapping the first pass and pushing snow to the left. The driver of the second truck should stay far enough behind the first truck to allow for the safe operation of vehicles trying to pass. Again, it will probably take several additional passes to widen the road completely. For multi-lane divided highways with median areas, clear the passing lanes and shoulder first. Work from the center of the road toward the outside shoulder. The procedure is just slightly different when traffic islands and barriers separate the traffic. Here, start at the island or barrier and continue making passes to the outside shoulder. Never push the snow toward an island or barrier. Gores and ramps have to be cleared in two passes. On the first pass, enter the gore area and move as much snow into the acceleration lane as you can. On the second pass, enter the gore again and pull all the windrowed material toward the shoulder. As soon as all the travel lanes and shoulders are cleared, clean up begins. The purposes of cleanup are to re-establish bare pavement, to push the snow as far as possible off the shoulder so you'll have somewhere to push snow from the next storm, and to eliminate all windrows so that ice won't form as the snow melts and freezes. Let's start with re-establishing bare pavement. All areas with snowpack should be cleared as soon as possible. But keep in mind that salting is not always necessary. In many cases, the heat from the sun will do your job for you. So, if the forecast is sunny sky and above freezing temperatures, wait a while to see if the snowpack will melt. Of course, if it's overcast and below 32, you'll have to make spot applications before you plow. Cleaning up also includes making room for the snow from the next storm. In some cases, simply making another pass along the shoulder will solve the problem. In other cases, it may be necessary to use a loader to push the snow away from the road. Some situations call for winging back the snow with a grater before using a plow, and in areas with heavy amounts of snow, the only way to make room is to use a snowblower. The important thing is to clear as wide an area as you can. If you don't have the equipment needed at your station, discuss the alternatives with your supervisor. Along with clearing shoulders, you also should be sure that all windrows are removed. This is especially important on bridge parapets and other safety appartenances. The best way to clear the parapets is to plow in tandem with the first plow straight-blading the snow away from the parapets. All of these cleanup procedures are essential. If the snow isn't cleared away from parapets and barriers, they can't function properly, and you'll have all kinds of problems when it melts. First, of course, when the temperature drops again, there's the danger of black ice, and you'll be right back out salting. But the other problem is roadway damage. Excessive water can enter cracks and cause anything from a pothole to base failure. So as you can see, cleanup is just as important as the initial plowing. But there are still a few more things left to do. Check all the drainage structures along your route. If the melting snow has nowhere to go, you'll be right back out there trying to get rid of black ice. Second, as you check the drainage, be on the lookout for any obstructed signs and clean any that you find. And finally, clean up your equipment and look for any damage. And those are the procedures for controlling snow and ice. But there are two points from the snow plow operation course that are worth repeating here. First, always travel in the direction of traffic. There are times when backing up can save you a lot of time, but it's a risk that's just not worth taking. And second, travel at a speed that's consistent with the road conditions. That almost always means slower than the posted speed. Remember, the roads are hazardous. That's why you're out there in the first place. And there's never a good enough reason to jeopardize your safety. Finally, it seems that there's always some people that think we make it snow and that we just can't wait to get in our plows for another 30-some-hour shift. I have two trucks going in the area right now. Okay, thank you. Well, there's nothing we can do about that. Maybe it helps to know that although some people complain about the weather, you do something about it.