WMOD00556

• Title: A Simulation of the Costs of Removing Snow from County Highways in Colorado
• Date: 3/1/1983
• Weather Modification - Doc Type: Report

General Information

Foremen in different counties reported different aroounts of time to
clear giVl~n aroounts of snow. Removal strategies also vary: in some counties
all equipment operators are sent out initially, but in others, only some are~
sent out IlI1less snowfall is heavy.

Foremen reported that the effort required to remove snow increases
rapidly when snowfall exceeds one or two inches. Removing four to six inches
of snow requires all operators to work a full day. Removing nine or ten
inches requires little more effort than removing six inches, however, sincE~
the operating speed of the equipnent remains fairly constant. Amounts
greater than ten inches were reported to require overtime in most counties
studied.

"

Results

COsts of Removing Snow from Natural Storms.

Estimated costs per employee of removing snow from natural storms rangE~
from about $1,300 in Eagle COunty in a winter of average snowfall to morE~
than $11,000 in San Juan COunty in a winter of high snowfall. Estimates fOl.
each county generally are highest in winters of high snowfall and lowest in
winters of low snowfall. Exceptions occurred in Eagle, Lake and OUray
counties where some of the winters examined had many small storms; small
aroounts of snow require more effort per inch to remove than large aroounts.

COsts of Removing Augmented Snow.

Estimated costs of removing snow increase when recorded snow amounts
are augmented. lricreases in total costs of removal range fran 0.8 percent in
Garfield COunty in a low-snowfall winter to 12.6 percent in Lake COunty in ,a
high-snowfall winter. The average cost increase, over all counties studied,
is 6.1 percent in winters of high and average snowfall, and 4.9 percent in
winters of low snowfall.

Recommendations for Record-Keeping

Actual effects of cloud seeding on the costs of removing snow cannot be
determined definitively until more accurate records of employee and equipnent
expenses are available. Recommendations for daily record-keeping include:

1. Number of hours each employee spends performing typical tasks (e.g. i
plowing snow, repairing highways, maintaining machines); and

2.

Number of hours each machine
clearing of snow, hauling
consunption.

is used
cinder),

for various
maintenance

tasks
costs,

(e.g. ,
fuel

Forms could be designed and. procedures developed to make this information
easy to collect.

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