While the first day of winter is still more than a week away, winter weather conditions in Litchfield and other parts of the state decided to arrive early.
After a couple of weeks of cold and snowy conditions in Litchfield, big snow removal trucks, power brooms and rock salt were in the business of keeping the streets safe for drivers and pedestrians.
Mario Provencher, an operations coordinator for the city, said his crew uses a mixture of crushed rock salt and washed sand to mitigate icy roads. The yearly budget for the salt is about $14,000, he said.
“But if it gets extremely cold, neither works very well,” Provencher said a few weeks ago in an email. “If it gets icy out, I can add more salt — if need be — to a load of sand in the plow truck.”
With a 70 percent chance of snow beginning Sunday night until Monday morning, followed by sub-zero temperatures forecast for the middle of next week, the crew could get a workout. Temperatures are expected to jump up to the teens and 20s in the following days.
But as winter snowfall becomes more frequent, it's important to remember city winter parking rules. City ordinance 72.15 states that no motor vehicle should park obstructing traffic on any street, avenue or alley — interfering with snow removal in the event of one inch of snowfall or more. Violations could result in a $50 fine for the first offense, a $100 fine or worse for a second offense.
Litchfield's snow equipment includes five plow trucks, one motor grader for plowing the streets, two skid loaders and one Cat loader plow for city parking lots, in addition to two power brooms for city sidewalks and downtown area. His crew also uses lawn mower tractors and snow blowers, which help clear sidewalks, Provencher said.
“This is the first day of plowing,” he said Nov. 13 after the first snowfall of the season. “The second day, I bring in four more people to help haul all the snow in our big trucks. So on average — depending on the amount of snow — anywhere from nine to 13 people are involved, which usually is a two to a three-day event — plow then haul and clean up afterward.”
Provencher’s crew hauls the snow to several locations around Litchfield, namely by Litchfield Wastewater Plant and by a big field at the north end of Litchfield Municipal Airport.
During heavy snowfall and before heavy traffic, Provencher and his team typically begin plowing operations from 6 to 7 a.m., and then get off the road, fuel equipment during commuting hours, Provencher said.
“We have goals to get roads done first,” he said, “then parking lots, alleys, and then the airport, and clean the outdoor rinks last. Everyone wants their road done first but that just can’t happen.”
