Any veteran of the township Public Works
Department’s battles against snow and ice
on the road can tell you snow is a cunning enemy.
By: John Patten
This week’s anticipated invasion by their dreaded foe just proves how challenging it is to plan a battle with the weather.
"It’s like planning a battle, without knowing the enemy," says Buck Sixt, who, as the township’s deputy director of Public Works, is our version of Dwight Eisenhower when the storms hit.
Mr. Sixt has the task of marshaling the township’s resources the township vehicles, contracted snowplows, and reserve troops and formulating a strategy to prevent the enemy from gaining control of the streets.
Sunday, with fresh intelligence reports of a major invasion coming from the south and a possible flanking maneuver by the enemy from the northeast, Mr. Sixt and his "snow Marines" prepared for the big one.
They checked every one of the township’s 24 vehicles for preparedness, filling the fuel tanks, stocking the sand and salt.
Satisfied they could do no more until snow show up, the troops enjoyed a last furlough before the long days ahead.
Monday morning, intelligence again reported enemy movement. In a surprise counteroffensive, the snow switched to drizzling rain and sleet a move undoubtedly intended to throw off Mr. Sixt’s plans, but Hillsborough’s warriors were prepared.
The troops gathered early Monday to review plans and make final checks of their equipment and supplies.
They made a final check of their newest addition to the arsenal two 3,000-gallon tanks filled with a solution of magnesium chloride and water. According to Mr. Sixt, this secret weapon would be the first line of defense for the township.
"Part of the battle is to get the material down first," he said. And if key locations are sprayed with the "mag-chlor brine," as he called it, snow and ice would be prevented from even gaining a position.
| Forecasting storms not so
easy, thanks to sea, land the east," Mr. Robinson said. Regarding this week’s non-storm, Mr. Robinson notes, "it (the storm) did turn the state on its ear." He added most meteorologists say the storm prediction was good, "But 8 million people are saying it was overhyped." "You just need to look 100 miles," he said, noting other areas did get hit with the storm meteorologists were predicting. More than 2 feet of snow fell in some places, he said. According to Mr. Robinson’s records, New Jersey averages 30 inches of snow per year and so far this year, the state is above that average, with 43 inches reported by Tuesday afternoon. But remember, five winters ago New Jersey saw 77 inches of snow, Mr. Robinson said. Laura Toto
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Satisfied all preparations were in order, Mr. Sixt sent his troops home at about 1 p.m., except for Jeff Huxley and Sam Lavoie, who bivouacked at the front (the Public Works Department offices) as forward observers.
His plan called for application of Mag-chlor brine at the first sight of snow. If the storm, he would order his troops to return to the streets for more plowing, which would clear the streets more effectively after the mag-chlor brine and other salts applied earlier kept a barrier between snow and pavement.
Monday afternoon saw alternating reports of storm movement the storm was flanking New Jersey but would return overnight to hit us harder, or else had instead moved out to the sea.
With such a stealthy foe, Mr. Sixt and his troops can’t be too careful they remained ready to strike throughout the night and into Tuesday morning.
But by then it was clear there wouldn’t be a major skirmish this week.
Mr. Sixt said the normal battle procedure is to apply salt and the more environmentally-friendly mag-chlor as a base to prevent snow or ice build-up on Hillsborough’s 250 miles of road. They’ll start on the main roads, like Hamilton, Auten and Sunnymead roads, then move into the subdivisions.
If snow continues to invade the area and his ally in warm temperatures doesn’t appear the trucks return to plow. It takes 12-14 hours to thoroughly plow the streets, but his troops will continue to plow as long as necessary soldiers never give up in the midst of battle so they can work days on end.
"When you go those long days, you have to stagger the hours," he said. Troops will be called in for a few hours R&R before being redeployed to the front as others get their breaks.
And when the battle is over, there’s always the cleanup equipment to repair, material to stockpile and, of course, the paperwork.
After each storm, or "snow event" in the parlance of Public Works, a full report must be prepared and forwarded to the township’s commanders.
Mr. Sixt keeps an accurate log of each battle, including the strength of the enemy attack (snowfall), supplies used, troop deployment (man-hours worked), damage assessments and assistance from allies (temperature).
Since the beginning of this season’s offensives in December, Mr. Sixt has logged 14 snow events.
There is hope for a peace settlement, however spring is only two weeks away and the enemy will almost certainly withdraw.
But there will be more battles come December.