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One month without snow is no reason to rest easy
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - December 02, 2009)
One month without snow is no reason to rest easy
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
Something has been conspicuously absent so far this year in Chardon -- snow.
Although forecasters were predicting the white stuff to fall by the end of the week, it is rarity for Chardon to escape snowfalls in November. But one month in late fall does not a winter make.
Since the city began keeping records in 1953, Chardon has seen an average of 9.95 inches of snow in November.
By this time last year, the city had dealt with nearly 2 feet of snow -- 23.05 inches to be more precise.
For Steve Borawski, who heads the city's plowing efforts as street superintendent, there is only one way to describe it. "It's great," he said.
Still being able to see the green grass means that the city has more green in its coffers, thanks to a slow start for winter in the place that is known as the "Snow Capital of Ohio."
City Manager David Lelko said each snowfall literally means that Chardon has a price to pay.
Last year, he said, 2 feet of snowfall in November meant overtime hours for crews that had to clear it from the streets and sidewalks. The three pay periods from Oct. 27 to Dec. 7 included approximately 575 hours of overtime, or roughly $15,278 in added wages, that the city had to pay out.
Mr. Lelko said a smaller sum also had to be included for pension costs, which are based on salaries.
He said the city faces additional costs for the fuel and salt that accompany those manhours. "There is also the cost of the wear and tear on trucks and our sidewalk plows," he said.
"Each day we don't have snow is a cost savings for the city," he said. "So far, so good, as far as I'm concerned."
As far as Mr. Lelko is concerned, the snow can stay away until the holidays. "I enjoy the snow when it's the holidays, except for Easter," he said. He said the best snow for the holidays can come a couple days beforehand, so road crews can still spend them with their families.
But Mr. Lelko said he's not living in a fantasy world and thinking that the city can escape the winter season unscathed.
The last time the city recorded no snow in November was during the season of 2004-2005, and the remainder of the winter recorded a near record snowfall. Chardon fell just 4 inches short of its all-time record that year -- 161.45 inches.
That year also reinforced one of Mr. Lelko's biggest fears. If the winter starts off slow, it tends to stretch into the spring, he said. In 2004-2005, the city got no snow in November, but 25.5 inches fell the following April and another 3.08 came in May.
"I hope we don't pay for it with a winter that goes long into the year," he said.
Mr. Lelko said the city has had above-average snowfalls for the past seven years. The snowfall totals during that stretch have easily exceeded the season average of 107.58 inches, he said.
Mr. Lelko said the type of snowfall dictates how costly it is. If the snow falls over one day, even a heavy amount, he said, crews can go out and have it cleaned generally over a day's time. But if the same amount falls over several days, crews have to keep going, meaning more in overtime costs, he said.
One of the worst Novembers occurred in the 1996-1997 season, when a total of 53.6 inches fell on Chardon.
But every winter is unique, because what comes one month is no indicator of what is to follow, Mr. Lelko said. Last year, the winter that started off with nearly 2 feet also had the second highest snowfall in January with 58.9 inches.
As unpredictable as the weather is, as long as Chardon is on a hill and Lake Erie effect is in play, one thing will be certain, Mr. Lelko said. There will be snow at some time.
"If there's no snow, it wouldn't be Chardon," he said.
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