Middle of the Winter Season...

We have arrived to the middle of the winter season, and this season has been up and down to say the least. During the winter months, we mainly focus on snow removal. So far this season, we have seen above average temperatures, with below average snowfall. Our most recent storm took place in the middle of January. While this storm ended up being more of a nuisance, it still provided its challenges. Our crews try to be out during the duration of a winter event, and this storm was long and drawn out. It was a two-part system with the first part dropping a coating-inch of snowfall in our area. This part of the system was taken care of fairly easily with salt applications to the sidewalks and parking lot areas. After a few hours lull, the next round began as snow and quickly changed over to sleet and ice. The precipitation came down heavy for a few hours and left us with and icy coating. Due to cold temperatures from the previous days, we knew we had to plow the little bit of icy mess that was left on the sidewalks and parking lots. Since there was such a small amount of accumulation on the ground, we tried using loader buckets versus plows as much as possible. This helped us get down to the asphalt. Most of our snow removal occurs on the west shore. We clear warehouses, small businesses, and banks. We also take care of a few properties in Harrisburg, and sidewalks in the city. After spending a few hours removing the icy mess from these properties, we were then able to apply a salt application to clear whatever remains were left and to prevent any refreeze. While we wait for the next winter event, we have a few jobs that we are completing for Traditions of America in Silver Spring. This time of year, we are mainly digging for the utilities. Once spring arrives, we know we will have plenty of planting and seeding to complete!