As November ushers in cooler temperatures, many are turning their attention to winter preparations—and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is no exception. Though it’s sunny and 80 degrees today, VDOT is already preparing for snowflakes.
“We start stockpiling chemicals throughout the summer months, and we start bringing on contractors as early as June to get ready for winter weather, so we are ready to go in case we get an early season snow,” said Jason Bond, VDOT spokesperson.
This year, VDOT has a winter response budget of $222 million—an increase of $2 million from last year—and has stockpiled more than 670,000 tons of salt and abrasives to help keep roads clear. In addition, the department has over 10,000 pieces of equipment, including snowplows and snow blowers, on standby for when the snow starts to accumulate.
“Salt brine doesn’t magically melt the snow as it comes down, but what it does is help us plow. It prevents that ice and snow from bonding to the road surface so that when we do plow, it comes up easier,” Bond explained.
This winter, drivers may notice some changes to VDOT’s snow removal strategy on the interstate. The department will be deploying “snow plow trains,” a new technique involving multiple plows working in a staggered formation to clear all lanes in one pass.
“Multiple snow plows working in a staggered formation to make a single pass and plow all the lanes at one time. This is something new to our area, something we’ve been looking at deploying on the interstate in the event of a snowstorm,” Bond said.
Over the past decade, Roanoke has averaged 18.5 inches of snow each winter, and with winter just around the corner, we asked local residents how they felt about the season ahead. Their responses were mixed.
“I’m crossing my fingers for snow,” said Penelope Muelenaer.
Sheryl Garner, on the other hand, isn’t as enthusiastic. “Snow is only pretty for like the first day, and then it gets dirty,” she said.
However, some residents are looking forward to the cold weather. “I’m very ready for it, we want it to be cold, yes, I love the cold season,” said Kaitlyn Stacy and Myra Barco-Calderon.
“I’m really excited for snow. I want snow,” added Emily Kate Copenhaver.
Whether or not people in the area are excited for winter, VDOT is preparing for whatever this season may bring. From stockpiling supplies to deploying new snow removal strategies, the department is ready to handle whatever the weather has in store.