Communities primed for harsh winter conditions
Winter arrived in Western Pennsylvania last week, dropping as many as 4 inches of heavy snow in Butler County that sent road crews into action.
“It’s not often that we get a 4-inch snow on our first call out,” Cranberry Township public works director Kelly Maurer said. “But we were prepared.”
Township crews completed their annual winter training in early November, ran dry route checks and readied all 27 plow trucks.
The township, Maurer said, also topped off its 6,500-ton salt shed by ordering 1,000 tons — a costly necessity as salt prices continue to climb.
“In 2020, salt was $76 a ton. We’re up over $90 a ton now,” Maurer said. “When you buy roughly $450,000 worth of salt, that’s a definite impact on the budget.”
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Butler County crews used 23,595 tons of salt and 73,695 gallons of brine last winter while maintaining 1,500 miles of road.
PennDOT spreads its local resources across 45 plow trucks that operate through 10 salt stockpile locations throughout the county.
While usage varies widely year-to-year, the numbers underscore the dependence on both salt and brine to keep roads passable.
To better predict when the winter weather might strike, Cranberry relies on its pavement sensor system, which measures ground temperature and provides real-time forecasts.
“We knew snow would arrive around 3 a.m. and taper off around 10 a.m.,” Maurer said of the first storm on Tuesday, Dec. 2. “It even predicted the 1-inch-per-hour rates between 6 and 9 a.m., and that’s exactly what happened.”
The data allowed the township to schedule a 4 a.m. call-out to preload trucks as temperatures rapidly dipped below freezing.
Crews then made three full passes of the township’s 139 miles of roads. Maurer said the first run was to clear initial accumulation, then to prioritize main roads during the morning rush and finally a curb-to-curb cleanup.
Two retirements earlier this year led to some route adjustments, and newer drivers were paired with experienced operators for on-the-job guidance, Maurer said.
Meanwhile, Cranberry’s brine plant continues to help other local municipalities. The township has used brine for about a decade, which helps reduce salt usage by activating faster and staying on the road longer, Maurer said.
The township supplies that brine at a cost to other municipalities and also shares pavement sensor data with their leaders and the Seneca Valley School District.
“We want everyone to have the information we’re seeing in real time,” Maurer said. “It helps all of us plan.”
While municipalities continue to do what they can, PennDOT urges motorists to help out.
The agency advises residents to slow down, use low-beam headlights during winter weather, turn off cruise control on snow-covered roads, leave extra space between vehicles and beware of roads that may look wet, but are actually frozen.
PennDOT also encourages drivers to check 511PA, the state’s real-time road condition system, before traveling.
After a surprisingly challenging first snowfall, Maurer said the township is ready for whatever the season has to offer.
“It was a tough start, but a short-lived storm,” she said. “We’re ready for the next one.”
