Snow Plowing Question

Annsni · #21 02/02/13, 09:31 PM

Around here, they also salt before it gets really bad. We have this salt water mix that they put on the roads that is great and really, unless it's icy, the roads are in great shape through the storm. Our guys get out there when there is less than an inch on the ground and they don't stop plowing until the snow is done falling and every road is plowed. So that means it could be that they are on the road for 12-24 hours at times!!

Booberry85 · #22 02/03/13, 08:35 AM

God bless the snow plow people in central New York. They really do a great job! I mean that with the utmost sincerity. I always say a little prayer for them when the weather is really bad.

Here they do get the plows out and salt the roads just before or at the start of bad weather. Then they plow, plow, plow until the snow stops. Then they go out again after the snow has let up and salt the roads again and knock back the snow banks on the sides of the road.

I drive all over NY state for work. The snow plow people here really do a great job!

levi1739 · #23 02/03/13, 10:09 AM

Retired now but did my 30 years of pushing snow in the winter. Couple of things are critical, always push the snow towards the local politicians and biggest complainers driveway, lol. For the braggerts from Michigan, note that you are driving in the snow all right, but there aren't any hills. Experience tells me that friction from the plow will help activate salt that is already there. Works best if there are no "stands" on the plow.

Have fun, be safe

Jack

Wis Bang 2 · #24 02/03/13, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arabian knight

Not me. What I do is go to the end of the driveway and snowblow the snow AWAY from the left side of the driveway. Do this for about 40 feet, and wide enough out into the road, and far enough to the side, so when the plow gets to the driveway it is pretty much EMTPY~!
Been doing that for the last 10 years. takes about 5 minutes, Problem solved. Then I start blowing the driveway etc. But do that road section first. As I pretty much know what time they are blowing, get out and do this before hand and bingo no huge amount at the end of the drive. Now on Huge snowfalls say over 12 inches where I may NOT get the blowing done right away this type of blowing does not work, but that is why when buying a snowblower I got a 10 HP one. LOL

My dad worked for our city for 40 years, retired as supervisor of highways.

We heard all the complaints but the best part was riding around w/ dad after a storm and listen to him criticize how all the surrounding towns and townships plowed their roads!

We had mostly on street parking and the neighbors all a learned that dad coming home, mid storm, was their sign to shovel out their cars. When he came out to go back to work; everyone pulled out [or helped push out] and all went 'around the block' while dad backed down and plowed both sides back to the curbs. Everyone came back and parked and retrieved their shovels and started on sidewalks while every other block in town had snow mounds & tiny parking spaces carved out.

My township has mailboxes and everyone has to cut back the snowbank so the mail truck can pull up to the box like having to do two driveways worth of plow slop.

Actually the plow driver could swing hard toward the curb b/4 your drive [or a cross road] and the plow would dump it's load and your driveway wouldn't get clogged and the 2nd last plowed cross street wouldn't have a ridge of snow across. I smile when I see our township cleaning up every intersection after the main plowing is finished. Most of the plows are mounted on garbage trucks so the driver is really busting butt and adding extra wear & tear to the truck.

And the grader operator could swing his blade around to roll the snow away from all those driveways but chances are the 'operator' doesn't now how. He may only know which one of the group of controls lifts the blade. He would need to swing the blade, move the side shift 100% in the opposie direction and change the tilt.

arabian knight · #25 02/03/13, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wis Bang 2

And the grader operator could swing his blade around to roll the snow away from all those driveways but chances are the 'operator' doesn't now how. He may only know which one of the group of controls lifts the blade. He would need to swing the blade, move the side shift 100% in the opposie direction and change the tilt.

Actually I HAVE seen him do that. And he has also seen me snowblowing like I described. Been at this place over 14 years now, small town and everyone knows I am pretty much crippled up from severe RA. But I do this at the end of the driveway just to "help" and the more I move and walk around the better it is anyways. And I am sure they like that so they don't have to Swing Away. As I am the only one on this side of the road in a 2 mile stretch.
And I am SURE I will be out there tomorrow AM because of nearly 5 more inches of snow coming tonight. We have already had 3 inches over the past 2 days I have not blown any snow for that. Now tomorrow I will get out if we do indeed get 5 inches or so.

Old Vet · #26 02/03/13, 03:50 PM

In Arkansas the road crews pretreated the road every time they have a snow it makes the snow not stick to the road.