Talkin Winter Ops

While it's important to have stockpiles full, equipment repaired and ready, and staff training and assignments set, it's important to have your home weather ready as well.  After all, when you're out there battling the weather, there's peace of mind knowing that your own home and family are safe and sound.  On this episode we're Talkin' Winter Ops with Jake Sorber, Research Project Scientist with the I...

The Pacific Northwest Snowfighters Association will be holding their biannual conference for winter maintenance professionals and practitioners May 2026 in Spokane, Washington.  This best in the west winter operations conference is a perfect time for exchanging ideas with your peers, finding out the latest and greatest in winter maintenance operations research, and interacting with vendors and suppliers.  

On this bonus episode Jame...

From that moment the very first engineering project was completed the age of maintenance began.  While the initial delivery of the public work carries a lot of fanfare nothing is more important than keeping it functional and in service.  Maintenance organizations have been intrusted to manage every aspect of those assets since before Asset Management was a thing.  From mowing and debris pickup to restoring mobility after the blizza...

In this episode we’re revisiting an earlier episode of Talkin Winter Ops that you may have missed.  In this episode we visit with Dr. Scott Koefod, inorganic chemist, about just how salt works when used as part of a winter maintenance strategy. 

Sign up for email notifications on future episodes and other communications associated with winter maintenance and winter weather management by clicking on subscribe on the Talkin'...

Winter maintenance is more than work plans, budgets, disasters and recovery.  Your family plays a huge role in your public works career and public service often demands family sacrifice during times of crisis.  Lots of times the two worlds of work and family overlap and sometimes collide. Mike Duffy is the Assistant Public Works Director at the City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Janis Duffy works for the State of Iowa Foster Care and A...

Developing an infrastructure project is series of compromises and tradeoffs and so often maintenance and operations considerations end up on the cutting room floor.  Unfortunately, those decisions have implications that agencies have to live with for a long time.  In the case of the GARS Intersection project in Fairbanks, Alaska everyone knew that snow removal was to be a significant consideration during the development phase.

Sarah...

A hundred and fifty years ago road departments leaned on the farmers next to the road to help maintain it and often times paid them to do so.  As time marched on and road departments became DOTs with dedicated maintenance workers and tools and technology advanced there is still a lot of innovation that takes place in the maintenance garage.  

On this episode we're talking winter ops with Indiana DOT’s Director of Innovation and...

The easiest snow flake to remove from the roadway is the one that never lands on it.  Seems obvious but how to make that happen?  On this episode we’re Talkin Winter Ops with Dan Gullickson, Minnesota DOT supervisor of their Blowing Snow Program.  Ever since the 1880’s when the railroads first started building snow fence to protect the track and the work on snow fence design that was part of the Strategic Highway Research Program i...

This briefing features the No Boundaries Pool Fund Study.  The No Boundaries pooled fund project is a community of practice of state DOT maintenance and operations professionals who share innovative maintenance technologies and practices to promote adaptation, implementation and broader use.

Check out the PRESENTATION SLIDE DECK and If you want more information about No Boundaries check out the NO BOUNDARIES WEBSITE 

or email its Cha...

This briefing features the work of the American Meteorological Societies Committee on Road Weather and Technology.  Focusing on advances weather science and technologies to fashion solutions to advance mobility during winter events the committee has many projects relevant to the highway community.

Check out the PRESENTATION SLIDE DECK and If you want more information about this Committee you can check out the ROAD WEATHER AND TECHNO...

This briefing features the Professional Snowfighters Association a North American based non-profit professional association dedicated to creating a community of practice, based upon adherence to sound science as it seeks to improve knowledge and practices in the pursuit of safe and sustainable snowfighting by the winter maintenance community.  

For more information about this organization you can check out the PROFESSIONAL SNOWFIGHT...

This briefing features the international Winter Service Technical Service Committee of the PIARC.  This Technical Committee focuses on activities facing all winter maintenance organizations across the globe.  

Check out the PRESENTATION SLIDE DECK and If you want more information about this Technical Committee you can check out their website at: PIARC Winter Service TC

or email Chair Peter Nutz 

Watch the video and presentation along ...

American Public Works Associations Winter Maintenance Subcommittee is the focus of this briefing.  The Winter Maintenance Subcommittee’s mission is to promote the development and use of the safest, most cost-effective, efficient, and environmentally sensitive winter maintenance technologies, equipment, materials, and practices; thus providing citizens with excellent quality of life during the snow and ice season.

If you want more in...

This episode of the National Briefing features the Maintenance Decision Support System Pool Fund Study.  This organization is advancing winter maintenance decision support through advanced forecasting and understanding of the winter weather system yielding an operational system to aid agencies in winter maintenance treatment strategies.

Check out the PRESENTATION SLIDE DECK and If you want more information about this project you can...

On this episode of the National Briefing features AASHTOs Winter Weather Management Technical Service Program, Formerly SICOP. Winter Weather Management work focuses on the identification, promotion, and collaboration efforts necessary to advance state of the practice winter maintenance and road weather techniques. 

Check out the PRESENTATION SLIDE DECK and If you want more information about this Technical Working Group you can chec...

On this episode of the National Briefing we feature the Clear Roads Pool Fund Study.  Clear Roads focus is on all things winter maintenance from driver safety to liquid chemicals.   

Check out the PRESENTATION SLIDE DECK and If you want more information about this Technical Working Group you can check out the CLEAR ROADS WEBSITE

or email the current Chair Todd Law or program support Greg Waidley 

Watch the video and presentation along...

On this episode of the National Briefing we feature the Aurora Pool Fund Study. Aurora's work focus is on road weather, instrumentation, and forecasting among other related activities. 

Check out the PRESENTATION SLIDE DECK  and If you want more information about their work you can check out the AURORA WEBSITE  

or email the current Chair Mike Chapman or Zach Hans project support

Watch the video and presentation along with all th...

In just the past few weeks there have been big changes at TRB that include the Winter Maintenance and the Road Weather Committees.  On this episode of the National Briefing Paul Pisano, former chair of the Road Weather Committee is here to share the changes and what you can do to stay engaged with the new committees.  

If you want to submit your name to be considered for membership in the new Standing Committee on Winter Maintenance...

On this episode of the National Briefing we feature the Maintenance Operations Technical Working Group of AASHTOs Maintenance Committee. One of the 5 Technical Working Groups of this Committee, Maintenance Operations focuses on activities like winter maintenance, work zones, and safety.  

Check out the PRESENTATION SLIDE DECK  and If you want more information about this Technical Working Group you can check out the MAINTENANCE COMMI...