10 ways to protect your ride from wild winter weather

Americans drive over 13,476 miles per year.  That’s over 1,000 mile per month.  And while Americans usually drive less during the winter months (January – March), many of those miles are trekking through snow and ice and winter weather that can wreak havoc on a vehicle.  Experts say that protecting a vehicle from the inside out is the best defense against winter weather.

 According to DMV.org, while today’s vehicles are designed to handle inclement weather, drivers still need to take some basic steps to protect their vehicle before and during those colder months:

1.       Check your fluids! Replace or refill if needed.

2.       Check your tires! Are they winter-weather ready? Consider snow tires depending on where you live;

3.       Thoroughly inspect battery, cables, terminals.

4.       Pack an emergency kit that includes a flashlight, blanket, gloves, hat, cat litter, sand, ice scraper, small shovel and snacks;

5.       Keep glycerin de-icer handy in case your locks freeze or you need to de-ice your windows and mirrors. It can also help if your locks get frozen.

The outside of your vehicle is often overlooked during colder months.  However, it’s just as important to keep the outside clean and protected during cold weather as during warmer weather.  AAA recommends taking the following steps to protect your car during these snowy winter months:

1.       Wax your car before the winter months

2.       Wash your car at least every 10-14 days during the snowy winter months and on the first snow-free day following a snow event if possible.

3.       Don’t drive through deep snow.  This can really pack into the undercarriage of your car;

4.       Avoid large puddles of water.  Steer around them if you can.

5.       Seal your undercarriage to keep water and salt out.

If you haven’t taken time to safeguard your vehicle yet this winter, it’s not too late. Take time to perform basic maintenance checks and stow emergency supplies in your vehicle before you head out on your next road trip.   And don’t ignore your car’s exterior finish just because it’s cold outside. Yourmechanic.com suggests washing your car once temperatures are in the upper 30’s or 40’s.

Being a ‘snow fighter’ means overcoming obstacles

Craig Kenyon, Equipment Operator Senior with the District Five Bridge Crew, teaches the snow fighters obstacle course.

By Tim Potter and Kelly Kultala

South Central Kansas and Northeast Kansas

Public Affairs Managers

You could tell Craig Kenyon was proud of the obstacle course for snow-plow trucks.

That’s where KDOT snow-and-ice (SNICE) crew operators learned or practiced skills needed to keep Kansas highways open this winter.

It was part of two days of annual “snow fighters” training, which took place in early November at a KDOT south central Kansas facility in Hutchinson and at the Hutchinson Sub Area yard.

It was the second year the obstacle course has been set up. Kenyon was an obstacle course instructor. “I dreamed this course,” said Kenyon, Equipment Operator Senior with the District Bridge Crew.

On a brilliantly sunny, obnoxiously windy, bitter-cold morning, Kenyon explained that the course is designed to help KDOT drivers get the feel of operating a snow plow in all kinds of situations.

A plow truck maneuvers along the obstacle course at the Hutchinson Sub Area yard.

There were many how-to’s: how to line up the plow as it rolls down the road, how to clear a bridge deck without shoving snow onto traffic below, how to lift the plow before crossing railroad tracks, how to retract the wing plow on the passenger side when encountering a broken-down car on a shoulder, how to be prepared if the plow suddenly snags on something.

The obstacle course was outlined with traffic cones, stretching about a half a mile, round trip. Barrels were used at one spot to simulate a stalled car on a shoulder to be avoided. Trainees also encountered a simulated railroad crossing, complete with an RR sign.

“They (the trainees) enjoy the hands-on,” Kenyon said.

He showed how controls in the truck cab operate the front plow, wing plow and other functions. “There’s a lot of things you need to keep focused on,” Kenyon said.

At other spots, crews learned from other teachers how to mix brine in a brine maker used to treat ice and how to plow wet snow using sand as the practice material.

Equipment Operator Steven Dvorak explained how to service a brine maker. “The really complicated part,” he said, “is when you start shutting it down and you winterize it. Once you get the hang of it.”

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Earlier this fall other areas across the state also underwent snow and ice training in order to prepare for more winter weather this season.  In northeast Kansas, about 40 new employees completed their training.

"Training is very important because the people that are attending are new hires with less than one year of experience and have never done snow and ice removal," Said Brian Hoke, Highway Maintenance Supervisor from Overland Park. "The trainers have many years of experience and enjoy meeting all of the new hires and sharing their experience and information.”

In the classroom training the trainees go over proper decision making and plowing procedures. They learn how to put tire chains on and do a walk around a dump truck with spreader and plow on to make sure that everything is working properly. They go over the different types of chemicals and salt brine that are used to melt the snow and learn how to apply them.

In addition, new employees attend the winter safety class where the District Safety Specialist goes over all the safety precautions of extreme weather conditions, what to wear and how to prepare for working long hours. They also go over the truck and attachments with a mechanic and he talks about common break downs and how some of them could be prevented. The mechanic also goes over proper clean up procedures with the equipment after the snow and ice event is over.  You might think that learning how to clean a snowplow would be easy, however, there are a lot of parts and pieces and nooks and crannies that need to be cleaned out.

Because many of the new employees have never used a torch, which is used to cut off bolts that can’t be removed otherwise, there is torch training which includes the basics of how to use a torch safely.

Many of the trainees had the most fun learning how to scoop up sand and rock with a loader and how to drive a snowplow on a course by pushing a bowling ball into a goal, which requires depth perception and hand/eye coordination.

 Here are some photos from similar events across the state: 

Crews in north central Kansas train on the brine applicator process.

Crews in north central Kansas practice plowing earlier this fall. 

Crews check out the different types of equipment
it takes to fight snow and ice in northeast Kansas.

Crews in northwest Kansas practice loading snow fighting contents like
salt or sand into the dump trucks. 

Crews in northwest Kansas practice loading snow fighting contents like
salt or sand into the dump trucks.

Crews in northwest Kansas practice a driving course during their training. 

Beet juice offers alternative solution to snow fighting

By Lisa Mussman
Public Affairs Manager for northwest Kansas

For decades, KDOT has used a combination of sand, salt and salt brine as part of their snow fighting efforts, but crews in parts of northwest Kansas have added a new tool to their arsenal in recent years: Beet juice.

Beet juice is an agricultural by-product from the process to make goods such as table sugar and cattle feed. As a standalone product, beet juice has little to no melting properties, but when mixed with salt brine, it will help the brine continue to work at lower temperatures to treat icy and snow-packed surfaces. Regular salt brine begins to lose effectiveness at around 15 degrees Fahrenheit. When beet juice is added, the freezing point can be lowered by another 15 to 20 degrees.

Colby Subarea Supervisor Brad Reeh says his crew has been using the product for about five years and has had success with it.

“We have been mixing it at a 10 percent ratio with brine and only using it when the temps are going to be below 15 degrees.” Reeh said. “When combining it with brine and salt and sand, it seems to stick to the snow-pack better and keep the product working on the road longer.”

That stickiness and staying power is important in allowing KDOT crews more time to work on other routes if needed. But don’t expect to see the roads turning red or purple. The solution is actually brown in color and can be easily washed off vehicles.

While beet juice is still relatively new to Kansas, it has been used in the Northeast and Upper Midwest since the early 2000's. It is among a handful of alternative products including molasses, beer waste, pickle brine and cheese brine that other departments of transportation are experimenting with to reduce salt usage.

Snow plows: Winter weather fighting machines

A KDOT Snow plow clears snow during a winter storm. There are 591 trucks across the state that can be used to clear snow and ice off roadways. 

Parts of the state may see some winter precipitation this week and KDOT crews are ready to combat inclement weather with some of the strongest winter weather fighting machines around: Snow plows and tow plows. 

KDOT has 591 trucks that can be used to clear snow and ice off of roadways.  Snow plows are a common sight during wintry months. These giant vehicles are essential to traveler safety and for helping commerce continue to move across the the state highway system.

A tow plow is a 26-foot-long, independently-steerable plow that can clear two lanes at a time. 

The tow plow is a 26-foot-long, independently-steerable mounted plow that can move  to the right or left. It allows a single driver to plow two lanes at a time and frees up other crew members who can concentrate on other highways needing snow removal. Tow plows are big and the truck pulling the tow plow is about the size of a semi-truck. There are seven of these distributed across the state to assist KDOT crews with fighting winter weather and they are located in Goodland, Colby, Hays, Salina, Ottawa, Bonner Springs and Olathe. 

While these tow plows are great for clearing multi-lane roads, do not try to pass them and don't crowd any of the plows as KDOT crews work to clear the roads. 

Check out this video where our talking cone friends, Mike and Earl, meet with a KDOT truck named Sandy to explain how tow plows work:

For road conditions check out www.kandrive.org or dial 511. 

Winter ready Wednesdays: Salt Brine

Winter is coming. Despite the mild autumn weather the majority of the state is still experiencing, snow and ice will most likely arrive in our forecast. Fortunately, KDOT has an effective tool to help combat slick roads: Salt brine

Salt brine is a proactive approach to battling inclement weather. Last year, KDOT used approximately 5 million gallons to prepare road surfaces for snow and ice. Each of the 112 sub areas in Kansas has at least 1,000-10,000 gallon storage tanks.  But how is this salty mixture created and what determines how and when it is used?

Salt Brine is typically created by filling a mixing tank with rock salt and then adding water. 

The water then percolates through the rock salt. 

The salt/water mixture overflows into a holding tank, where it is measured with a hydrometer. If the brine reads 23% salt (or 91 % saturation) it is ready to be used on the roads.

Salt Brine is applied to the road surface. It is most effective when it has a chance to stick to the road after the water evaporates. 

KDOT doesn’t rely on salt brine for every weather event. It is most effective when it has a chance to stick to the roads after the brine water evaporates. If there is a rain changing to snow weather event, using salt brine wouldn’t work as effectively, the precipitation would wash it away.

Because the salt brine is only the most effective until temperatures reach 25 degrees, some areas around the state are starting to use sugar beet juice mixed with the salt brine. Beet juice, when added to the salt brine can help melt ice at near-zero degree temperatures.

As the winter months move in, KDOT will use a variety of methods to clear roads and infrastructure and help Kansans travel safely.  For the next several Wednesdays, we will share with you more ways that KDOT works to keep Kansas moving during inclement weather.

For up to date road conditions, check kandrive.org or dial 511.