WMOD00556

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

Collection of Data for the Model

Data for the model were gathered by interviewing the foremen who
direct snow reIOOval operations in each county. The foremen were asked
to descr ibe:

1. What resources are available-.-including personnel and their
rates of pay, equipment; and

2. How resources are typically used when it snows--including the
minimum amount of snow requiring reIOOval, the time and
equipment required to reIOOve various amounts, the time
required for mop-up (pushing back banks, clearing drifts and
sanding slick spots on days following storms) and policies
for overtime.

Foremen reported that the time required to remove given amounts of
snow depends on characteristics of storms such as wind, density of snow,
time of day and duration. These characteristics are discussed below.
We developed methods to account for time of day and duration. Wind and
density of snow were accounted for by asking foremen to "abstract away"
the extreme and consider typical conditions. Foremen were asked to
identify and discuss special problems (like those caused by extreme
wind) before we asked them to estimate the time required to remove given
amounts of snow under typical conditions.

Foremen reported that amounts of snow from a given storm could
vary considerably within their districts. This was especially true in
mountainous distr icts where snow depth varies with elevation and the
angle of the wind to nearby mountain barriers. Most foremen could,
however, identify a pattern of variation: ''When we get three inches
here at the shop, six or eight usually fall on the ridge." Although the
reported pattern did not apply to all storms, we asked them to consider
it when indicating how employees and equipment are deployed.

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