Snow and more snow

I got a phone call this morning after we'd been milling around drinking our coffee for awhile. I've been on quite a downer for the last day or so, feeling sorry for myself because there are a million things that need doing around here and no one seems to be able to help out on their own accord. And yesterday was just one of those days, lets just leave it at that. One of those ones where every boogery thing you could think of happening, did happen.

Anyway.

We have enough snow up here in the Pacific NW to set records this year. Imagine that! Elsewhere on our side of the state there are roofs collapsing and declarations of emergency being made. Last year there were reports of the deicer compound running out before the winter ran out. This year I think they've budgeted for more, but there's been a problem with the supplier, so there's less deicer to be had than ever. Not that deicer will help much right now: there's just too much volume of snow.

So we do what every municipality does: plow and sand. Our crews have been out round the clock what with this weird weather. We've gotten a new storm every few days since Thanksgiving. There must be a foot and a half of snow all told (which is stunningly less than Spokane, who got more than their usual entire winter's worth of snow in two storms and it keeps on going). The usual plan is that our street crew does the plowing if there's two inches down, round the clock. But we're still a small town. There are only a few plows. So we contract with private companies to come out and help. Which makes a difference between getting just the main arterials done - with the private contractors, they can get into the neighborhood streets and clear them while we concentrate on keeping the main flow of traffic clean.

But where does all that snow go?? On most streets it piles up to either side. Right now the curblines are at about two feet, which means parking on the street is rough. But even that is preferable to what happens on the larger arterials. Because they're so wide, not only does a significant berm get piled to curbside, but an even larger berm collects in the centerline. This is a hazard, cause it only takes one enterprising yahoo to get high centered and gum up the whole works. It's bad for everyone. So, they do what they do: go out and collect it in dump trucks and haul it away.

Now, I want to make it clear: I don't work for the Street Department. But I do watch these guys work their tails off each winter season, making sure everyone can get where they need to go. It's a thankless, round the clock, freezing, boring job. They have to make those kinds of decisions that are going to make them unpopular no matter what they do. If they plow an arterial, the people gripe that the plows are in the way. If they plow a side street, the people gripe about being plowed in (it just isn't feasible to pull up that plow on every driveway, folks). If the policy is 2", the people gripe that they aren't plowing at 1". If the budget goes over, well.... they should have called on magic to get rid of the snow.

The thing I hate the most is to listen around town and/or open the local paper and see and hear from all the people who think our snow guys are idiots. I'd just like to say this: Hey, help us out here. Those guys are working at their maximum capacity, just to make sure that the Fire trucks and the ambulances can get to you if they need to. Getting you to work and Wal Mart quickly is second on their list. They sometimes don't see their families during winter and particularly over the holiday season with any regularity. Cut em a break. Stay back from the plows and let them work.

Your driveway is your driveway. We all have to shovel ourselves out when the plow goes by, but we should give thanks someone cares enough to make sure we can GET from our driveway to town. Most of all, care for each other. If you're able bodied, help out those who can't get themselves out - the elderly and the infirm. If you're one of those people who need help, let someone know! If we all work together, we'll get through this.

It's only snow. It happens often enough that everyone should know to expect it. We are all at the mercy of Mother Nature. Nobody expressly ordered it to be inconvenient for you. Sit back and relax and enjoy the enforced break that the weather has provided for you, and the next time you see a plow guy, thank him.

This year, we've had such a generous load in such a short period of time that we've exhausted our Street employees. They're on overtime, and have been for quite a while, running 24-7 when it's bad. And we need them all to operate the large equipment. So, they've been begging and borrowing from other departments to get people to run the flasher truck while they pick up snow from the berms. They do it in the middle of the night so it inconveniences the smallest volume of traffic. Thus far, Sewer Department employees, Water Department employees, and even the front office girls have been taking a turn at helping out. It does a body good to see it. And now it's my turn.

I got my call to work graveyard shift today. I just got up from a little nap, and my grumpypants attitude has somehow melted away. Maybe it was just cabin fever? It will be cold and boring and uneventful.... but I think it will be good for me.