HOWELL – So far in 2022, the new year has started off with lots of snow at the Jersey Shore. On January 7, Howell Township had about 6 inches of snowfall with other areas of New Jersey reaching over 10 inches.
The blizzard that hit the state on January 29 gave areas as much as 18 inches, with Howell getting around 10 to 15 inches of snow.
When snowfall arrives in Howell, there are nearly 600 miles of roads that need to be plowed. So how does the township prepare for a snowstorm?
Paul Novello, the Director of Public Works for Howell Township, explained how the department tracks a storm and decides what procedures are best to handle it.
“We first watch the weather forecast. Howell has a contracted weather service that I call up and speak with the forecasters. Whether it’s a snowstorm or high winds, or heavy rains, I call them about two or three times before the event and sometimes even during the event to get updates,” he said. “For this recent storm, we have a fairly decent handle on what we’re going to be getting. Then we have to make the decision whether or not we are going to brine or not.”
Brine is a diluted salt mixture that is used before it snows to it prevents the snow or ice from bonding to the road.
“Brine is storm-dependent; it’s not always used. No two storms are alike,” Novello said. “Once it starts snowing, we’ll put salt down. We start salting the main roads first and work our way out. Once we get out 3 inches of snow, we switch over to plowing and we continue to plow until the storm is done. Sometimes it takes three, four, five passes on a street depending on how hard and long it’s snowing. We take a look at the roads to see if we need to salt again to prevent any icing, if the snow melts then freezes over.”
As for the town’s brine and salt supply, they were well prepared for the snow this year compared to previous years.
“The brine we get as needed, and we get that from the county. As for the salt, we get that from a vendor through the state. We get it delivered and store it in a salt barn,” Novello said. “Last year when we had all those storms in February, we were hurting for salt, like most people were in the north east. As soon as we hear about a storm, we order more salt to keep that barn full.”
Howell Township has created ordinances in the past, such as moving cars off the street and removing basketball hoops, to prepare for snow and make plowing easier for public works.
“That’s all to make our job safer and easier,” Novello said. “Another thing residents can do to help us is when they plow snow from the driveway or sidewalk, don’t blow the snow into the road. Those are things that really hinder us. Also, residents should be prepared with food and water when we have big storms like this. It’s recommended not to go out and drive unless you really have to.”
“The snow might stop at 10 a.m., but not all the roads will be plowed by then. I have 573 miles of road to plow in this road, so it takes a while. We do the best we can,” he added.
To learn more about the township’s snow and ice plan, visit the Department of Public Works page at twp.howell.nj.us/187/Public-Works.
