Winter Maintenance

Thank You To Our Sponsors




    


    

Live Events

Spotlight On Winter Maintenance

This three-and-a-half-hour program featured three relevant and pertinent sessions for those who manage winter operations, including interviews with current APWA Leadership.

Sessions in this program include:

Communicating your Winter Maintenance Plan
Speaker: John Parsons

Pavement Gone to Pot? Patching and Preventing Potholes
Speakers: David Bergner, Mike Hale

Lessons from the Lab – Enhanced Liquid Deicers
Speaker: Scott Koefod

Did you attend the live program?

Access the recordings and revisit this content in the eLearning Portal.

Did you miss out?

You can purchase an annual registration for the Spotlight on Series or purchase the recordings in the APWA Store in September 2021.

SC/RC Perspective On Winter Maintenance

Preparing Small Cities/Rural Communities for Winter Weather Operations

Speakers: Marc Valenti and Craig Eldred

Winter operations is not limited to snow and ice season. Preparing for winter weather is a year-round charge for small cities and rural communities. Connect with panelists to prepare your winter weather operations and equipment in your small city/rural community.

Third Thursday Advocacy Jam: Winter Maintenance

October 15, 2020
2:30–3:30 p.m. CT

As public works agencies across the U.S. and Canada begin planning and preparing for winter maintenance, the threat of natural disasters looms large. In addition to snowstorms and other winter weather, different regions of the country can face a wide range of issues including flooding, hurricanes, wildfires, and more. Please join the APWA Government Affairs team and volunteer leaders for an interactive discussion on disaster relief policy, changes to grant programs, and the impact of COVID-19 on emergency management in both the U.S. and Canada. Please come ready with your stories – sharing your experiences with these programs and thoughts on how they might be improved will help APWA’s staff best advocate on your behalf.  We look forward to hearing from you!

Registration is FREE for Members and Non-Members. You can register for the entire year of programming or by each individual program.

Register for Annual Series


Winter Maintenance Operator Certificate

October 6 and 8
7:30–9:30 a.m. CT

SOLD OUT — REGISTRATION CLOSED. New November session now open >

Launched for chapters mid-2019, this is the first time this program will be available to nationally. This four-hour certificate program is targeted towards those staff in the trucks performing winter operations, including operators, crew leaders, and foremen. The program focuses on snow and ice control materials and how they work, equipment, and operations.  

During this program’s national debut, hear from speakers who developed this program, many of whom are current or former operators themselves. The format blends the best of live face-to-face with the convenience of online learning. The workshop will be held over one week, two days a week with two-hour class sessions. Live session dates and times are October 6 and 8 from 7:30am-9:30am Central. Live sessions will be recorded, and participants can either go back and revisit material later or catch up on a session they missed.

Learning Objectives:
1. Discuss the basics of winter operations and apply essential winter operation for operators.
2. Identify common winter materials and how they work.
3. Explain the different winter equipment available and its upkeep and determine the benefits of enhanced communication between fleet personnel and operators.

Introductory pricing is available for this first session: $50 for Members and Non-Members.

On Demand eLearning Opportunities

Principles of Public Works Operations: Winter Maintenance

This session is designed for individuals that are interested in exploring Winter Maintenance Management, as it applies for those entering the public works industry and those who want to further their professional development. This session provides essential aspects of managing a winter maintenance program including best practices for policy, planning, and procedures. Although this session is primarily focused on winter maintenance program management, an introduction to snow and ice control materials and equipment will also be provided. Real-world examples will be included as key learning examples, as well as a discussion guide to keep the conversation going with your peers after the conclusion of the session.

Note: This session could be considered a prerequisite to the Winter Maintenance Supervisor Certificate program.

Proficiency Level: Introductory

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe essential policy and planning that should guide a winter maintenance program.
2. Recall the basic uses of snow and ice control materials and tactics.
3. Discuss the variety of equipment used within a winter maintenance program.

Purchase From APWA Store


Winter Maintenance Supervisor Certificate — Now Available!

The Winter Maintenance Supervisor Certificate Program, one of APWA’s most popular programs, is now available in the convenience and ease of an online course. Targeted towards foremen, supervisors, and managers of winter maintenance operations, this certificate program helps those in charge of winter operations understand all facets of what goes into developing and maintaining an effective winter maintenance program.

The goals of the program are to:

  • Expand knowledge of planning and preparation
  • Increase understanding of winter weather and how it affects operations
  • Identify how to better use traditional and alternative chemicals
  • Consider what equipment is available and how to maintain it
  • Expand understanding of snow and ice control techniques
  • Appreciate the environmental impacts of winter maintenance policies
  • Stress responsible application

...resulting in more effective, efficient, equitable and environmentally friendly snow and ice control.

New release pricing: $75 members and $125 for Non-Members.

Participants are eligible for 0.7 CEUs upon completion.

Visit apwa.net/elearning for more information or contact education@apwa.net.

Purchase From APWA Store


Winter Operations Summit Recordings

Sponsored By:

              

The APWA Winter Operations Summit, a new three half-day virtual event focused on winter operations education and features 12 presentations provided by industry experts. Included in the program are sessions originally scheduled for APWA's North American Snow Conference on a wide variety of winter planning and operational topics presented by winter maintenance experts and practitioners. Session titles included in the Summit:

  • 15 Year Evolution of a Snow Maintenance Program
  • Putting It All Together: Where are we at with liquids today
  • Ask the Experts Panel
  • COVID-19: Leading People Through Difficult Times Jam Session
  • More Than a Paycheck: Leading People in a Modern Public Works Agency
  • Ohio DOT Perspectives on Winter Maintenance Preparation & Available Resources
  • Operation Procedures to Enhance the Snow Fleet Before the Storms Hit
  • Operational Forecasting for Winter Maintenance Programs Using Machine Learning Pavement Forecasts for Specific Winter Maintenance Strategies
  • Snow and Ice Control - Equipment and Techniques
  • Taking It To the Streets
  • When is Enough… Enough?
  • Evaluating Your Winter Program Jam Session

$85 for Members; $110 for Non-Members

Purchase From APWA Store

Members' Library Highlights

Members can access recordings of Click, Listen, & Learn programs, content from past conferences, and specific e-books and publications on demand 24/7 through the Members' Library. We'll feature three exciting programs related to the month's highlighted technical area.

Automated Vehicles and Adverse Weather
Any vehicle, regardless of who or what is driving it, has limits in the kinds of atmospheric weather and road surface conditions that it can handle. Take this opportunity to hear and discuss the results of an ongoing FHWA research project on how automated vehicles perform in adverse weather. Among the issues to be covered are how well the vehicles' sensors and navigation systems perform when nearby vehicles and pavement markings are partially obscured; how road weather providers can best communicate information on current weather and road conditions to automated vehicles; and how an automated vehicle can determine whether a planned trip will be within the weather limits of its operational design domain (ODD).  This session will also offer information about FHWA Road Weather programs and initiatives including voluntary data exchanges to accelerate safe integration of automated vehicles, maintenance decision support systems, and road weather data collection initiatives such as Pathfinder, Integrating Mobile Observations (IMO), and Vehicle Data Transfer (VDT).

Liquids 101: The Basics (Part 1 of a series of 4 sessions on the use of liquids)
Don’t miss this introduction to the use of liquids in winter maintenance. From the southern states to the northern-most provinces, liquids are part of the public works arsenal for fighting snow and ice. This presentation will provide the basics: What are winter maintenance liquids? When and where should liquids be used? How are liquids made?

When Things Go Wrong and When They Go Right During Winter Events
A panel of experienced snowfighters from Farmington Hills, Michigan, will share how teamwork is the key to preparing for and executing a fluid winter operations plan. You'll hear from both management and front-line team members about how open communication across the team has contributed to better planning and preparation for the curveballs that Mother Nature can throw during any winter storm. They'll discuss their approaches to pre- and post-winter meetings, training tools and activities, and team reviews of products, equipment, and bid specs.

Trending Technologies/Roving Reporter

Trying to keep up with the latest and greatest #trendingtech in public works? You're in luck! APWA is highlighting a new trending technology by way of our Talking Top Tech webinars, Roving Reporter Education Series, and new resources and programs. You can even share your own Roving Reporter videos on social media using #APWARovingReporter.

Talking Top Tech: Technology for Field Crews Edition
Join us for a look at Technology for Field Crews through the perspective of different lenses such as Public Works, Consultants, Industry, and International.

Recording available soon!

Career Development/Workforce

Resources

Staffing Challenges for Winter Maintenance Operations
Businesses and public agencies around the country are reporting driver shortages and searching for other good, quality workers. In this session, we will discuss the hiring practices of the Twin Cities and Schaumburg, Illinois. The discussion will include the challenges faced in recruiting and hiring a diverse and changing workforce and the trainee programs that Minneapolis and St. Paul have incorporated for developing a highly trained CDL workforce.

Developing Good Snowplow Drivers Begins with Training...And the Training Never Ends
Every road manager begins the winter season with two concerns: Is my crew ready for whatever may come and have I done everything to keep them safe? The Indiana LTAP has been offering snowplow driver training for many years and will share tips for how to establish an effective training program.

Snowfighter Appreciation Day
The operators who keep our roads safe and provide mobility during winter storms often find it a thankless task. But in truth, they are out in the worst sort of weather, often in the middle of the night, performing at the highest levels of excellence. It's time to celebrate their hard work and service. Join us for this discussion of how to establish a Snowfighter Appreciation Day and getting support from elected officials, local media, and the community.

Certifications

CPWP-S logo

Certified Public Works Professional-Supervision (CPWP-S)
The Public Works Professional-Supervision certification is to recognize individuals in the public works field who have the knowledge and experience to supervise areas in a public works organization. It is for public works supervisors, crew leaders and frontline employees ready for supervisory positions.

CPWP-M logoCertified Public Works Professional-Management (CPWP-M)
The Public Works Professional-Management certification is issued to recognize individuals in the public works field who have the knowledge and experience to manage organizations within a public works department. The Public Works Professional-Management certification is for public works managers, superintendents, and supervisors ready for management positions.

Exhibitor Showcase

Check in on our virtual exhibit floor at any time to find the best resources for public works. Our growing exhibitor list will soon include new technology and products introduced in the past year, as well as informational videos and product information.

Visit the Floor

Winter Maintenance Resources

Open Your Winter Toolbox Collection
The “Open Your Winter Toolbox” series in the APWA Reporter continues to appear each month, all year long. Each timely and informative article tackles a different subject and involves tools, technology or innovations that agencies can consider implementing to improve their operations.

PW Self-Assessment: Winter Maintenance Toolbox
This Toolbox series is your introduction to APWA’s PW Self-Assessment. Each month a new topic will be highlighted through self-assessment checklists, model practices from APWA Accredited Agencies, and educational resources. Self-assessment is a valuable tool for determining how an agency's policies, procedures, and processes compare to recommended practices identified by nationally recognized experts in the field of public works. Public works self-assessment provides opportunities for continuous improvement for your overall operations, ultimately leading to better quality of life for your community.

Publication Highlights

Municipal Snow and Ice Control
This book is for everyone who is involved in snow and ice control in a public agency. It covers materials, application, equipment, weather, and takes the reader from "before the season" to "after the storm" in scope.

Snow and Ice Control: Field Handbook for Snowplow Operators
This field handbook is to help promote the understanding of the tools, best practices and limitations of snow and ice control. It will help you understand when to use and when not to use these tools and practices. In addition, it encourages progressive changes in snow and ice control practices that will help you reduce sand/salt use and lessen environmental impacts while meeting the safety and mobility needs of roadway users.

Committee News

Winter Maintenance is a subcommittee of APWA’s Transportation Committee. The subcommittee’s mission is to promote the development and use of the safest, most cost-effective, efficient and environmentally sensitive winter maintenance technologies, equipment, materials and practices; thus, providing citizens with excellent quality of life during the snow and ice season.