Snow, Snow and Ice

If it seems as if you’ve been shoveling overtime, imagine how the village maintenance staff feels. At the Village Board meeting on Tuesday night February 8, Benedict Salanitro who heads up our public works department quantified just how much snow there has been and what it has taken to clear village streets and sidewalks.

You’re not imagining that it’s been a tough winter. According to Salanitro, here are the facts:

• So far this winter we have had a total accumulation of 58.2 inches of snow in Scarsdale
• We have had 13 weather events, or 176 cumulative storm hours that required village maintenance
• This was the snowiest January on record
• The staff has already dumped 3600 tons of salt on our streets and sidewalks

…and what did the cost? The village had budgeted $694,000 for snow removal for this year – and we have already blown through that budget, spending $755,000. Last year, the total expenditure for the season was $705,000 and this winter is not over. The Village staff is doing their best to keep sidewalks clear as well, using their Bombadier machine. But proceed with caution as the Bombadier is not effective on ice!

Speaking of snow, the Scarsdale Fire Department is asking every resident who has a fire hydrant on or near their property to shovel all the snow away from the hydrant so that it is accessible by firefighters in case a fire occurs.

Career and volunteer firefighters have been working tirelessly over the past six weeks to keep snow cleared away from every hydrant, but with almost a thousand fire hydrants in the Village and with new snowfalls occurring each week this task is proving to be impossible.

Keeping the snow cleared away from your fire hydrant is a quick and easy way to help us to help you and your neighbors. Your assistance is appreciated!

Please contact the Scarsdale Fire Department at 722-1215 with any questions.