Tag Archives: winter maintenance

New Clear Roads Research: Dashboards for Improving Winter Operations

From Clear Roads, March 5, 2025

Transportation agencies collect vast amounts of data about their winter operations. Dashboards can help to summarize the information, measure performance, inform decision-making during winter weather events and improve planning for future storms.

This Clear Roads project examined the use of dashboards among transportation agencies to assess current strategies and identify innovative and effective practices. The results offer guidance to transportation agencies that are considering implementing or expanding their dashboard use to enhance winter maintenance operations.

Download the final report and two-page briefCR 22-05 – Use of Dashboards for Winter Operations, December 2024.

Clear Roads’ National Survey Compiles Tenth Year of Winter Maintenance Data

US map

Clear Roads has just published its tenth Annual Survey of State Winter Maintenance Data, which compiles winter resources, material and cost data from 41 states for the 2023-2024 winter season. The spreadsheet includes all submitted data, as well as calculated statistics, winter severity index data, and a United States map that displays many of these metrics. The spreadsheet also includes data from the previous nine surveys (winters 2014-2015 through 2022-2023) and displays averages and changes across winter periods.

Reprinted from Clear Roads, February 5, 2025

Clear Roads: Training Module Development for Evaluation of Storm Severity Index and Winter Severity Index Variables

Clear Roads project 18-03, Evaluation of SSI and WSI Variables, produced a step-by-step guide and flowchart tool to help agencies identify or develop severity index methods to fit their needs and available data sources.

As estimating the impact of weather on roadway maintenance resources is becoming an increasingly important issue for agencies across the country, a recently completed Clear Roads project, 21-04, Training Module Development for Evaluation of Storm Severity Index and Winter Severity Index Variables, produced additional training modules geared toward three key audiences: division directors, snow and ice managers, and supervisors.

Incorporating audiovisual materials, discussion topics, and interactive exercises, the training modules will help practitioners design and develop indexes to suit their agency’s particular needs.

Download the final report and two-page briefCR 21-04 – Training Module Development for Evaluation of Storm Severity Index and Winter Severity Index Variables, July 2024.

Resources

Clear Roads Featured at National Briefing

September 4, 2024
Reprinted from Clear Roads News

Last month, AASHTO’s Winter Weather Management Technical Services Program, Maintenance Committee and Maintenance Operations Technical Working Group jointly held its 5th National Briefing on Winter Maintenance and Road Weather to showcase the activities of the various organizations dedicated to winter and year-round transportation maintenance.

Continue reading Clear Roads Featured at National Briefing

Clear Roads Annual Survey of State Winter Maintenance Data

Clear Roads has published the results of their ninth Annual Survey of State Winter Maintenance Data, which compiles winter resources, material and cost data from 41 states for the 2022-2023 winter season. The spreadsheet includes all submitted data, as well as calculated statistics, winter severity index data, and a United States map that displays many of these metrics. The spreadsheet also includes data from the previous seven surveys (winters 2014-2015 through 2021-2022) and displays averages and changes across winter periods.

Evaluating New Slurry and Plow Equipment

MnDOT maintenance practitioners and managers are always looking for new and better ways to handle winter weather. A recent evaluation of new products revealed which of several new pieces of high-potential winter maintenance equipment were appropriate for use on Minnesota highways. Just as importantly, the agency uncovered the shortcomings of other equipment, identifying critical issues to address before acquiring additional equipment.

Continue reading Evaluating New Slurry and Plow Equipment

Designing Pedestrian Safety Features for Year-Round Maintenance

Pedestrian safety countermeasures near roadways require year-round maintenance to be effective. Clearing snow and ice has not generally been a design consideration for safety treatments, but new research has identified specific design criteria to help MnDOT and other agencies keep walkways clear without impeding maintenance efforts.

Continue reading Designing Pedestrian Safety Features for Year-Round Maintenance

Expanding Alternative Snow Control Through Landowner Engagement

Some rural landowners maintain snow fences to prevent blowing snow from reaching highways, decreasing the resources MnDOT spends on winter maintenance. A recent project provided new information and updated tools to encourage more landowners to adopt this alternative snow control method.

Continue reading Expanding Alternative Snow Control Through Landowner Engagement