January saw near-record-breaking cold and higher-than-average snowfall, but the two combined created conditions requiring more than shovels and plows — we needed new language. Welcome “snowcrete” to our winter lexicon.
Snowcrete is a portmanteau: a combination of the words “snow” and “concrete,” which describes snowpack so dense and heavy people can stand on it and not fall through. Sintered snow acts like a solid thanks to inches of sleet that fell, then froze during Winter Storm Fern and the days of frigid temperatures that followed.
The Baltimore City Department of Public Works broke out the backhoes and excavators to clear alleys of snow piles that had frozen solid so their sanitation trucks could get through, and people on social media wondered if Lot O of Camden Yards would still have mountains of ice blocking parking spots on opening day.
Snow crews from the Baltimore City Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of Public Works (DPW), Recreation and Parks, and Department of General Services (DGS) worked in 12-hour shifts around the clock to plow and treat the city’s roads, said Kathy Dominick, interim deputy chief of communications for DOT. Crews also helped residents by moving and hauling away snow and ice from their neighborhoods.
“This material, which carries the density and weight of rock and rubble, was transported to designated dumping locations, including Lot O of the stadium,” Dominick said.
The city is using a large machine that melts the snow and ice to help reduce the size of those huge piles in the dumping locations. Eventually, the snow and ice will melt on its own as temperatures warm to above freezing, especially in sunnier weather.
The various city agencies have their communications teams sending information out on social media accounts to keep residents up-to-date, and Dominick says they have been very busy since before the Jan. 25 storm. On Reddit, City Administrator Faith Leach shared a video with a look at the snow melter operations at Lot O. Consensus from commenters is they deserve a raise.
Meanwhile, residents relied upon their own creativity to carve out parking spaces, like this Dundalk resident who used a chainsaw to cut up the snowcrete.
Ingenuity is a wonderful thing, but for people without power tool capacity, know that DOT is shifting its primary focus from plowing the snow to removing the large snow piles from city communities.
“Our priority is to enhance public safety by targeting large snow mounds that currently impede traffic flow,” Dominick said. “We are hauling away these snowbanks to restore full vehicle turning radiuses and improve visibility for drivers and pedestrians alike.”
About 230 miles northwest of Baltimore, in the sub-zero temperatures of Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow Monday, predicting six more weeks of winter.
Spring is exactly 45 days away. Hang in there.
