When a snowstorm of last week’s magnitude hits Wilton, it’s not just a matter of plows rolling out once the first flakes fall. Behind the scenes, Town officials and employees begin preparing days in advance — coordinating crews, staging equipment, monitoring forecasts and getting ready for what can quickly become an around-the-clock operation.
But the real work intensifies during the storm itself and in the critical days that follow. From keeping roads passable to responding to emergencies, managing public safety, and helping the community return to normal, Wilton’s storm response requires a massive and carefully orchestrated mobilization across multiple departments.
Major storms also raise important questions for residents: What exactly is the Town responsible for? What can — and can’t — be done during heavy snowfall? And what role do homeowners play once the storm has passed?
To help clarify how Wilton prepares for and responds to extreme winter weather, GOOD Morning Wilton posed a series of questions to Town officials. Town Administrator Matt Knickerbocker provided the following answers via email.
Q: When did crews begin plowing, and how long did full route clearing take?
Matt Knickerbocker: Emergency planning actually begins several days ahead of the storm, involving the Highways, DPW, Fire, Emergency Management, Parks & Grounds, and Social Services Department, along with the first selectman and town administrator. The emergency management director also coordinates closely with state DEMHS [Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security] officials and public utility representatives to prepare for the storm.
Highway workers were called in several hours before the storm was expected to begin to begin pre-treating all roadways with salt to retard icing once precipitation begins. They stayed on duty for a full 24 hours during the storm.
Q: How much salt/sand was used, and are supplies still sufficient for the rest of the season?
Knickerbocker: We have not yet had time to tally the amount of material used, but to the second part of this question, salt supplies in Connecticut are limited. There are supply shortages, reasons unknown, that are affecting state and municipal public works operations. State authorities at DEMHS have stepped in to help determine the cause of the issue and seek relief.
Q: How many man hours did DPW drivers put in with plowing, digging out, etc.?
Knickerbocker: Total DPW work hours was approximately 650 (storm related overtime only; does not include normal shift work hours)
Q: How many man hours did parks & grounds staff put in with plowing, digging out, etc.?
Knickerbocker: Approximately 200 work hours. Please see note above concerning normal hourly shift work.
Q: How many storm-related accidents did police respond to during/after the storm?
Knickerbocker: Police recorded no crashes during the snowstorm itself, and we would like to thank all Wilton residents for heeding the Town’s request to stay off the roads during the storm. Their cooperation was very helpful.
Q: Cleanup takes a while post-storm. What does “cleanup” mean after plowing ends — widening roads, clearing intersections and storm drains? What do residents need to know about the kind of work, and the difficulty/high workload this puts on the DPW and grounds crews?
Knickerbocker: “Cleanup” generally refers to having highway plow drivers return to select areas where public safety issues may require widening clearances along very narrow roads, restoring critical lines of sight at certain intersections, etc. But generally, our team does a very good job as far off the roadways as possible. Once snow is moved and piled, it compacts, becomes very dense and freezes into a solid mass, making it very difficult to move. It is far more efficient and safe to move it out of the way as much as possible with each pass of the plow early in the storm.
Q: What should residents expect differently after a 14-inch storm compared with a 4-inch storm?
Knickerbocker: Wilton’s total was actually 16 inches.
Once the main clearing is complete, the large amount of snow left on the sides of our roads will begin melting in bright sunlight, eve on very cold days, which will leave areas of moisture that will re-freeze at night forming dangerous ice patches. Drivers will need to be extra cautious, especially in the morning hours right after daybreak. These conditions will continue to repeat every day until the large roadside snowpack is gone, especially when we are experiencing single-digit nighttime temperatures.
Incidentally, salt becomes ineffective at such low temperatures, which demands even greater caution.
Q: Are there parts of town that consistently take longer to clear — and why?
Knickerbocker: There are no particular areas that are more difficult than others, but all of Wilton is very challenging for our plow drivers, and it takes a great deal of practice for them to achieve real proficiency. Wilton has a great number of beautiful scenic roads, but most are narrow and hilly, which requires very careful work.
Q: Crews are still actively trying to remove mounds of snow — I saw them in Wilton Center on Wednesday loading snow piles into trucks and carting it away. There’s still a ton more snow in piles like that all around. Any comment on how much crews are working on this, where people can expect to see it and where they won’t see it — for example, do crews come and clear snow piled in front of mailboxes? What are the priorities?
Knickerbocker: Crews will address line-of-sight and other public safety issues as the top priorities. Unfortunately, with over 5,000 individual single family homes, the vast majority of which have curbside mailboxes, we do not have enough manpower to clear driveway ends and mailboxes. We will all need to dig out our own mailboxes… it’s the homeowner’s responsibility.
Editor’s note: The U.S. Postal Service regards clearing the snow from in front of mailboxes a resident’s responsibility, and asks residents to “keep the full approach and exits to a mailbox clear.” They expect that mail carriers will not have to exit a vehicle to deliver mail. If your mail hasn’t been delivered, snow blocking access to your mailbox may be the reason why.
Q: What should residents do if their mailbox was knocked over/damaged by plows?
Knickerbocker: s noted in our town mailbox policy, any time a plow truck actually hits a mailbox, the Town will replace the post and mailbox. However, there are a couple of qualifications:
- While mailboxes are occasionally clipped by the plows on our narrow roads, the majority of mailbox damage is actually caused by the force of the snow discharging off the plow blade as the truck passes. This is not covered by Town policy; homeowners need to construct sturdy mailboxes that can withstand the New England winter and its snow removal challenges.
- When a mailbox is damaged by one of our trucks, it will be replaced with a standard wood post and mailbox. Specialized or decorative mailboxes are not covered.
Q: There are some intersections along Danbury Rd. or other State roads where visibility might be blocked or snow piles left on corners. Should residents report those to the town or should they report it to the state? Will Town crews handle clearing those areas?
Knickerbocker: If in doubt as to which agency “owns” a particular roadway, [residents] should report it to our DPW office. If the report turns out to be a state highway, our staff will forward the report. In general, most of the roadways in town are town-owned, with the exception of US-7, Rte 106 and Rte 33.
Q: Sidewalks and fire hydrants — anything you’re asking residents to do to help?
Knickerbocker: Yes, if a resident has a fire hydrant on their property, we respectfully ask that they clear the snow and ensure the hydrant is visible as soon as possible after each snowstorm. The same applies to sidewalks. Residents and businesses who have sidewalks on their property are responsible for clearing them under state and local law.
Q: What’s the best way for residents to report unsafe road conditions or missed streets? Aside from SeeClickFix, is there anything else residents should know or do?
Knickerbocker: Although SeeClickFix is an effective reporting tool, the Town receives thousands of various notices, which can take time to process. For any matter that is urgent or reasonably involves a public safety issue, we would prefer a phone call to our DPW department so we can address the problem faster.
Q: With the extended below-freezing temperatures, road conditions are still icy. What do you want communicated to residents?
Knickerbocker: With temperatures reaching into the single digits, ice is the most immediate danger. As noted above, some melting normally occurs during daylight hours which then re-freezes at night, despite the fact that our crews apply salt treatments as often as necessary.
Another very important consideration is to check your tires, they are very easy to forget. Worn tires can cause severe loss of control and increased braking distance in icy conditions. Drive slowly and maintain longer than normal following distances. Drivers are also advised to keep their fuel tanks filled to prevent fuel lines from freezing.
Q: Any other particular safety warnings/messages? Pedestrian safety? Speed? Kids at play?
Knickerbocker: We ask drivers to please slow down and keep a sharp eye out when driving in areas with high snowbanks. Small children may be waiting behind those piles and could pop out in front of you at any time. Stay alert and drive extra carefully.
Q: What is the biggest post-storm safety risk you want residents to take seriously?
Knickerbocker: The most important post-storm safety risk is your own personal health. When big snowstorms hit and people are not used to heavy duty shoveling, they are at a much higher risk of heart attack, stroke or back injuries. When shoveling, take time and rest often. The most important pre-storm safety measures are to stock up on critical supplies and prescriptions so you do not have to go out into the storm, and the number one precaution is to check your fire and carbon monoxide alert devices to make sure they have fresh batteries and are functioning.
Q: What else do residents need to know about Town-wide response during the storm and ongoing? Anything you’d like to add?
Knickerbocker: Snow removal may look quite simple and straightforward, but it is actually a complex process that requires a great deal of planning and coordination, beginning many days in advance of the storm.