Know Snow

Recent winter storm kept snowplow operators very busy

Recent winter storm kept snowplow operators very busy

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Recent winter storm kept snowplow operators very busy

Recent winter storm kept snowplow operators very busy

March 30, 2012

Just a couple days before the official start of spring, our state experienced a severe winter storm that left up to 36 inches of snow in some spots.

Needless to say, that much snow meant ADOT’s snowplow drivers were kept very busy through the weekend.

How busy? To answer that, we rounded up stats from some of our maintenance districts. The crews working in these teams are among the nearly 400 ADOT employees trained to drive a snowplow.

When the weather gets like it did the weekend of March 17, snowplow operators will typically work 12-hour shifts to make sure the freeways are clear…

ADOT’s Flagstaff district had 41 snowplows deployed during the storm March 18-19. This added up to 1,968 labor hours to clear the snow on approximately 3,000 lane miles of highway.

* Lane miles = distance traveled x number of lanes cleared. For example, a snowplow might clear a roadway that measures 25 miles, but if there are four lanes to clear on that span, the lane miles traveled equals 100. All the numbers in this blog post are referring to lane miles.

The storm hit Payson at around midnight on March 19 and the snow quickly forced the closure of many local roads and I-40. ADOT crews in the area worked around the clock putting in a total of 291 hours during this storm. They either plowed or treated 5,287 miles of roadway. The crew member providing this info points out that the total circumference of Earth is 24,901 miles and that it’s not unusual for the Payson crew to plow enough miles to circle the planet TWICE in one winter!!

Cordes Junction (and surrounding areas) got some snow, too … 3,606 miles of roads were treated or plowed in the area.

Crews out in Safford had seven plows in operation working in the higher elevations on US 191, SR 266 and SR 366.

In Kingman, 13 plows were used on I-40, SR 66 and US 93. The district also utilized two de-icer trucks to help cut through the icy conditions.

Over in Globe and the surrounding areas of Roosevelt, Show Low, Springerville and St. Johns, 26 snowplows were utilized along 15,354 miles.

The northeastern portion of our state also saw quite a bit of snow…

ADOT’s Holbrook maintenance org used six plows on 1,026 miles of roadway. The Winslow group utilized six plows on 3,599 miles of roads. Surrounding areas (including Kayenta, Keams Canyon, Ganado and Chambers) utilized a total of 21 snowplows along 6,790 miles of road.

We’d like to send a big thank-you to all the crews who worked through this storm. Their efforts helped keep the roads open and safe!

ADOT closes certain state routes for winter months

ADOT closes certain state routes for winter months

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ADOT closes certain state routes for winter months

ADOT closes certain state routes for winter months

November 30, 2011

Taken early this year on I-40 near Flagstaff, this photo shows some serious snowfall. Other Arizona routes that receive little traffic and heavy snowfall are closed during the winter months.

Snow-covered, icy highways get swift attention from ADOT crews each winter, but some routes face factors so severe, that completely closing the road down for a few months is the best option.

A handful of state routes are annually shut down because they’re located in areas where HEAVY snowfall is common. These routes typically see little traffic – so it makes sense for ADOT to use its resources to keep more heavily traveled highways open.

When ADOT closes a road for the winter, maintenance crews will set up barricades at the closure points and then drive the roads to make sure no vehicles are in the closed sections.

So far, a few routes have already been closed, or are scheduled to close within a few weeks …

A portion of SR 366, also known as “The Swift Trail,” was closed on Nov. 15. This is the scenic highway that leads to Mount Graham – the closure begins at the end of the paved highway, just beyond the turnoff to Shannon Campground. ADOT may need to close the highway at lower elevations as necessary to allow for snow removal (this highway is too narrow to allow traffic to pass the snowplow). The Swift Trail should open up again in mind-April, unless conditions require it to be closed longer.

SR 67 – between Jacob Lake (US 89A) and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon – closed on Nov. 28. This portion of the route won’t be cleared of snow during the winter since the visitor accommodations at the North Rim are closed. Expect this road to re-open around mid-May.

SR 473 to Hawley Lake is slated to close Nov. 30.

SR 261 – between Big Lake and five miles south of SR 260 – is scheduled to close on Dec. 19.

A five-mile segment of SR 261 from the junction of SR 260 south toward Big Lake may be left open until Jan. 16, depending on the amount of snowfall.

SR 273 between Sunrise Park and Big Lake will close Dec. 19. The segment of SR 273 between SR 260 and Sunrise Park will remain open to provide access to the ski area.

It’s important for motorists to drive with caution as they encounter winter conditions. Check out ADOT’s “Know Snow” web page for maps and tools to assist you this season. You can also stay up-to-date with the latest highway conditions by visiting az511.gov or by calling 511.

New snowplows on display for today's media event

New snowplows on display for today's media event

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New snowplows on display for today's media event

New snowplows on display for today's media event

November 15, 2011

ADOT Snow Prep

Driving a snowplow is a lot harder than it looks …

Luckily, ADOT has about 395 employees trained and ready to operate the nearly 200 snowplows in Arizona’s fleet.

To give the public a better idea of what it takes to drive one of these machines, ADOT invited members of the local media over to a Phoenix equipment services yard this morning for an up-close look. 

Reporters not only learned about ADOT’s winter storm prep, but they saw several plows on display and were even able to try out ADOT’s snowplow simulators. 

A bit on the snowplows 

The snowplows on display this morning are brand new! ADOT has added 15 new snowplows to its fleet this year. This new equipment will be deployed soon to different districts around the state in time for the snowy season. The new plows are replacing older plows that have reached the end of their life cycles (the old snowplows will be sold at an auction in the spring).

Practice makes perfect 

The snowplow simulators made available to reporters this morning are a valuable training tool for ADOT snowplow operators. The simulators might look like a sophisticated arcade game, but they’re not. The equipment helps drivers learn how to operate a snowplow and gives them a good idea of some of the hazards they may face on the road. The simulators can output everything from different weather conditions to locked brakes and failed headlights. 

For more information on driving in Arizona during the snowy season, check out ADOT’s Know Snow Web page.

ADOT set for snowy season

ADOT set for snowy season

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ADOT set for snowy season

ADOT set for snowy season

November 14, 2011

Arizona isn’t known for its harsh, winter weather conditions, but that doesn’t mean we don’t see some considerable snowfall during our colder months.

In fact, areas up in the state’s high country already had their first snowfall this season and more is on its way. So, what better time to make sure you’re ready for the winter season ahead?

ADOT certainly is ready ... as part of the department’s winter safety operations, we remove snow and ice during and after storms to keep highways open for motorists and businesses. Our snowplows are serviced and ready, our operators are prepared and our maintenance yards are stocked with deicer materials and equipment!

A few facts about snowplows and snow removal …

  • ADOT has 395 employees who are trained and have commercial driver licenses, which are required to operate a snowplow.
  • These employees go through a lot of training. Before they can become a certified snowplow operator, employees have to go through 4-8 hours in the classroom, 8-16 hours training in a snowplow simulator and at least 40 hours of on-the-job training.
  • Snowplow operators typically work 12-hour shifts during winter storms.
  • ADOT has 196 snowplow trucks in its fleet. Each snowplow costs about $250,000 and they are funded with state funds from the Highway User Revenue Fund (HURF).
  • This year, ADOT is adding 15 new snowplows to its fleet. They’ll replace some of our older snowplows. (We’ll tell you more about this tomorrow!)
  • ADOT is fully stocked with deicer chemicals. There are about 24,000 tons of Ice Slicer (granular product seen in video above) available statewide along with liquid magnesium chloride (a naturally occurring salt mineral).

You can see in the video above, ADOT crews are out there right in the middle of the storm, making sure the state’s roads are as safe as possible.

“Our main concern is to keep the roadways open, to keep them safe for the traveling public and to get the information out that the conditions may change as they drive,” says Flagstaff Maintenance Engineer Chuck Gillick.

While our snowplow drivers do their part to keep the roads open, motorists play a big role when it comes to safety, too …

For information on how to stay safe when driving in snowy conditions, you can visit ADOT’s “Know Snow” webpage. From maps to a look at how ADOT removes snow, the page includes some great tools you’ll want to check out.

“The main thing that drivers can do is be informed about the weather conditions and to just slow down, let the plows do their job and just have a safe ride and realize its going to take a little bit longer to get to where they’re going than under ordinary conditions,” says Gillick.