Many hoped the arrival of spring two weeks ago would be the answer to a never-ending story of winter, but the snow appears to be stopping at nothing.
While Park City typically receives around 10 inches of snow on average for the entire month of April, the storm earlier this week brought around 16 inches of snow to the area. For skiers, and the state’s reservoirs, it’s a welcome sight. But this “once in a lifetime weather event” is also creating several operational challenges, according to Summit County Manager Shayne Scott.
The unprecedented snowfall has taken its toll on the county’s Public Works Department, requiring both staff and equipment to work longer and harder than normal.
Scott estimated there are between 15 and 20 people within the department who are also employed as county snowplow drivers. The responsibility often requires them to work early mornings or late nights and leave their daily duties to help clear roadways. There have been a few times when Scott had to technically “declare an emergency” to keep the plows running.
The county services 1,800 square miles. Populated areas are the first priority for snowplow drivers, who then spread out into the more rural areas of Summit County. There have been a few school delays, which indicate the roads are unsafe for travel, but Scott said he feels things have been working well overall.
“We’ve had to keep going in times where we would’ve preferred not to,” he said. “There have been a couple of times where we’ve had to send them out after midnight, before four in the morning, which we try not to do as a general rule. It’s been hard.”
Overtime in the Public Works Department has gone up by 85% this winter compared to last season, according to Matt Leavitt, the county’s chief financial officer. Spending for salt is down this winter, he said, but it’s primarily due to supply-chain issues. Public Works reported it is running low on salt and the contractor could not supply it, which led the county to reach out to a different vendor.
While it hasn’t been much of an issue finding staff to drive snowplows, it has been difficult to keep the equipment running. Scott said as few as four and as many as eight trucks have been inoperable at one time. He praised the county mechanics, who sometimes work weekends, for their efforts to repair the snowplows.
“If we have 15 people and we have 10 trucks, that doesn’t do us a whole lot of good. We have willing drivers and we want the trucks to use them,” Scott said.
The Snyderville Basin Special Recreation District is facing a similar problem.
Last week, Basin Recreation announced its shop “graveyard” was full with all six of its groomers down, and in need of repairs. Without the necessary equipment, the organization has been unable to groom any of its trails.
Dana Jones, the district’s executive director, said the organization is putting many more hours into the equipment this winter because of the snow than in a normal year, which causes additional wear and tear.
The snow is wetter and heavier, too, adding more strain on the equipment. There is also more snow on the ground, which can make it difficult for staff to see where the trail should be and causes equipment to be over the side, according to Jones.
“This is the latest that we have ever groomed the trails, the snow is usually too thin by now [for maintenance.] Instead, the equipment would be in the shop being serviced and tuned for next year,” she said. “We cannot keep on hand every part that we could possibly need for every piece of equipment. Not only would it be cost prohibitive, but we do not have the storage space for such an extensive inventory.”
The county is sensitive to employees who may need to work from home due to the winter conditions, Scott said, but he emphasized the importance of keeping services such as the Summit County Library and the county Health Department open.
He noted a similar challenge county residents have encountered with garbage and recycling collection. Republic Services earlier this year announced it was experiencing collection delays because of harsh weather, and many homeowners reported their trash had not been picked up in weeks. Summit County later called the delays “unacceptable” in a statement and said the winter storms weren’t the only reason for the lack of service.
The county is still evaluating the situation. Scott recognized the impact snow can have on operations, but he said there still needs to be accountability. The community’s patience and support, which Scott said has been strong, is much appreciated.
Summit County is not planning around the snow and strives to maintain business as usual. Although it doesn’t feel like winter is going to end anytime soon, staffers are making preparations to prepare for spring flooding. The Smith and Morehouse Reservoir and the Weber River are two water sources considered at risk.
Property owners are encouraged to collect sandbags to help reduce flooding on their land. The county has around 30,000 sandbags on hand and has ordered approximately 80,000 more, according to Scott. They’ve also partnered with various municipalities to keep them in stock for residents.
“I think we’re ready. We’re planning for the worst and hoping for the best,” he said. “So far, the temperature is participating … It’s been really moderate so that’s been very helpful to us. But there’s a lot of snow, and it’s going to come down eventually.”
For more information about spring flooding preparedness, visit summitcounty.org/flooding.