The Blizzard of 2015: Tuesday, January 27, 2015

 

By Julie McCay Turner

An update on the Blizzard of 2015 in Bedford:

Department of Public Works

Bedford’s 24-hour snow fall for the Blizzard of 2015 may total nearly two feet by the time the storm ends. According to DPW Director Roy Sorenson, Bedford had accumulated 22 inches of snow by early Tuesday afternoon, but the precipitation is expected to continue through tonight.”The crew is doing an outstanding job and will continue well into tomorrow. We are keeping roads passable,” Sorenson said, “but [we] won’t be able to get routes cleaned and pushed back until much later tonight. Plowing has been extremely difficult with minimal visibility and 2 plus inches an hour and nonstop.”

In a rolling interview while touring Bedford’s plowed and passable roads on Tuesday afternoon, before Gov. Baker’s statewide travel ban was lifted, the DPW’s Highway Department Chief Earle Elliott said much the same thing, adding that keeping the roads clear for emergency personnel and first responders during Governor Baker’s state of emergency travel ban is his crew’s highest priority. Traveling along Hancock Street he noted that the roadway might not be sufficiently wide for a fire truck and another vehicle. “Our crew will have to push the banks back,” he said, even though the additional plowing will close driveways that residents’ snow blowers had already cleared.

Bedford’s DPW crews have been working hard, long hours over the past several days. After clearing Saturday’s storm, there was a short respite on Sunday, but oOn Monday crews did needed repair and by evening began to cope with the Blizzard of 2015. Many of the crew members, Elliott included, haven’t been home for several days, and another moderate snowfall is predicted later this week. Steve’s Pizza stepped forward to provide pizza for the crews on Tuesday evening.

Bedford’s reputation for immaculately cleared roads preceded Elliott’s arrival some 14 winters ago. Keeping up the tradition is a matter of balance and teamwork he contends, “And having a great crew to work with!” And in 2009, Bedford was ranked 4th in the nation for excellence in clearing snow during storms!

Elliott leads Bedford’s three-tiered snow removal process: First plowing the snow, then salting/sanding to bring road the surface to clear pavement, and finally plowing the sidewalks. Bedford deploys a pair of sidewalk-sized snow-blowers to clear the town’s 20+ miles of sidewalks. Along McMahon Road, the drifts covering the sidewalks were nearly 3 feet high on Tuesday afternoon, and need to be clear in order for children walking to JGMS to be able to pass safely.

Each storm is unique and calls for a different strategy said Elliott. While Bedford’s brine truck pre-treated the roads before last Saturday’s storm, the Blizzard of 2015’s colder temperatures would have created an icy mess when the brine and the first flakes bonded. To assess road conditions during storms Elliott has installed gauges in many of the DPW’s fleet that measure both the road temperature and the air temperature so that crews can implement the correct treatment.

Elliott consults with his peers in surrounding towns and at Hanscom Field to determine the optimal strategy for dealing with each storm, and in the spring, summer and fall also maintains the DPW’s vehicle fleet. He researches the best options for each year’s suggested vehicle replacements and searches out the best energy-efficient replacements. Interestingly, the winter fleet and the summer fleet are comprised of the same vehicles: In the summer, the plows and salt spreaders come off, the tail gates are reattached, and the truck is ready for warm weather use.

Public Safety

Both Police Chief Robert Bongiorno and Fire Chief David Grunes reported an absence of unusual activity during the blizzard. Bongiorno noted that additional officers had been brought on duty and will remain through duration of the storm. “We are thankful to the community for heeding the Governor’s Executive Order and remaining off the roadways,” Bongiorno said on Tuesday afternoon. “We will continue to monitor the storm and are well prepared to deal with any contingencies Mother Nature throws our way.”

School Department

Superintendent Jon Sills has declared that Wednesday, January 27 will be another snow day.

Utilities

There have been no reported power outages in Bedford through the Blizzard.

Hanscom

Thanks to Keith Lenhart, Earle Elliott’s colleague at Hanscom Field, we are proud to share this image of one of the airfield’s massive snowblowers, that was most recently seen by residents in the 2014 Bedford Day parade!