In Woodbury, Ready To Go, But Where’s The Snow?

Yes, plow crews at Woodbury’s aren’t as busy this winter as they were last year.

But that doesn’t mean they’re sitting around .

“This year has kind of been a fluke,” said Tim Thurmes, assistant street supervisor for Woodbury.

The New Year's Eve snow was close to an inch, and crews pre-salted roads that night and sanded early the next morning, Thurmes said. "You can't plow that hard pack off."

The lack of significant snow this season has given them a chance to catch up on other public works projects, including tree removal and trimming, fixing potholes with a new “spray patch” system, sign inspection and vehicle maintenance normally reserved for spring.

Woodbury is saving money, too. It costs $20,000 to $30,000 every time the city sends out its 17 plow drivers, Thurmes said. But that can fluctuate, he said, recalling the 15-inch snowstorm that hit the city last year and required plenty of overtime. Crews worked for 25 hours straight at one point.

In an average year, city workers head out a few times a week to either plow or drop a sand/salt solution on the roads, Thurmes said. The city uses 90 percent salt and 10 percent recycled granular material. Calcium chloride is also added to the mix to create a brine that helps ice melt in colder temperatures.

The full compliment of plows head out every time there is two or more inches of snow in Woodbury, Thurmes said. While the 17 plow drivers handle most of the city—excluding county roads—an 18th worker takes care of certain cul-de-sacs and other areas a larger plow can’t reach.

The 36-square-mile city is broken into nine zones for plowing, and he and other city workers keep a close eye on weather reports, but even that can be tricky. Thurmes recalled a time when radar reported snow in Woodbury.

“But there was nothing in the sky,” he said. “We sanded the roads and headed home. Then it started to snow.”

Thurmes has been with Woodbury’s Public Works Department for 23 years, but he doesn’t consider himself a weather expert.

“You just go by past experiences,” he said. “It’s not a guessing game, but it’s not a science either. … Traffic volumes help snow melt. There’s a whole host of things you try to incorporate, and we’ve missed it before.”

There is a tiered system to plowing, Thurmes said, starting with arterial roadways and working back to residential streets.

“The worst it would be is two or three blocks of a bad drive,” he said.

Plows are equipped with devices that track how much material is released and where the trucks go, and drivers have the discretion to drop more of the solution on hills or spots where the sun doesn’t hit the road, Thurmes said.

“These guys—I want them to make that judgment call,” he said.

And public works looks for ways to be more efficient, he said, from screening salt so it’s finer and doesn’t bounce around as much, to considering using a new rubber-carbine plow blade.

“We’re always looking for new technology,” Thurmes said. “We’re always trying out things to use less material but get the same results. That’s your main goal—everybody is trying to do that.”

• Drivers almost always take right-hand turns.
• Plow drivers must have a Class A commercial license.
• The city plows Valley Creek Road from Woodbury Drive to Manning Avenue (the rest is falls to the county).
• He likes plowing at night. “Because there’s nobody out there.”
• When the front and wing plows are fully extended, it can cut a 16-foot swath in the snow.
• Plow trucks range from model years 1996 to 2011.
• The Woodbury City Council does a good job keeping up with plow drivers’ needs. “So we can give the residents what they need.”
• People should give plows a wide berth.
• Those with questions about plowing can call public works at 651-714-3720.