Home > LTAP Know-how > Topics > Snow and Ice Control

Snow and Ice Control

Minnesota Snow and Ice Control: Field Handbook for Snowplow Operators

Minnesota LTAP, 2005 (Download PDF (452 KB))

The purpose of this field handbook is to help promote the understanding of the tools, best practices, and limitations for snow and ice control. In addition, it encourages progressive changes in snow and ice control practices that will help you reduce salt/sand use and environmental impacts while meeting the safety and mobility needs of roadway users.

SALT Institute's Snowfighters Training Web site

Contains links to best practices, manuals, and training materials.

Also includes a section on Winter Maintenance Training Resources, which contains many basic information documents (and a podcast) about highway snow and ice control from a variety of sources.

The materials are being shared by winter maintenance professionals and distributed in conjunction with the National LTAP Association's WINOPS listserv. The person posting the document grants permission for reproduction and use of these materials for training, providing appropriate credit is given.

Items available for download include fact sheets from the Iowa DOT on topics such as snow fence, bridge frost, and ice melting capacity; Salt Institute publications such as the Salt Storage Handbook and the Snowfighter’s Handbook; and several Adobe Breeze and Powerpoint presentations.

To join the WINOPS listserv, please contact Katy Claytor at the NH LTAP center.

Winter Parking Lot and Sidewalk Maintenance Manual

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 2006 (Download PDF (982 KB))

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) sponsored the development of the Winter Parking Lot and Sidewalk Maintenance Manual. It is based on the Minnesota Snow and Ice Control Field Handbook for Snowplow Operators, produced by Minnesota LTAP, as well as on training materials used in an MPCA parking lot winter maintenance training class.

The purpose of this manual is to deliver practical advice for improving operating efficiency and reducing environmental impacts to those who manage parking lots and sidewalks.

Salt’s Lasting Impact: Education, proper science key to reducing chemical usage

Snow Business, November 2007
View article (PDF)

A Snowplow—Cool! Video

Minnesota Local Road Research Board, 2001

This video provides 2nd and 3rd grade children with an understanding of the dangers of building snow forts next to the streets, building forts or tunnels with roofs, sliding into the streets and other safety issues around snowplows.

Snow and ice control: a best practices review

Office of the Legislative Auditor, State of Minnesota, 1995

This report identifies the "best" methods of plowing snow and removing ice from Minnesota roads.

FHWA Road weather management program: snow & ice

Web site listing state's best practices for snow and ice control, as well as information about chemicals and techniques.

Manual of practice for an effective anti-icing program: a guide for highway winter maintenance personnel

FHWA, 1996.

This manual provides information for successful implementation of an effective highway anti-icing program. It is written to guide the maintenance manager in developing a systematic and efficient practice for maintaining roads in the best conditions possible during a winter storm.

The Minnesota Local Road Research Board's Training for Snow & Ice Control on Gravel Roads, 2003.

The LRRB's Research Implementation Committee, with assistance from SRF Consulting Group, Inc. developed a training workshop to assist local governments with winter maintenance on aggregate roads. The workshop is targeted to maintenance personnel. The materials include PowerPoint slides with instructors notes (2003-23), and a participant workbook (2003-39).

Guide for snow and ice control

AASHTO, 1999.

Not available online.
Available from the Mn/DOT Library

Advances and issues in snow-removal and ice-control technology. Transportation Research Record no. 1741 (2001), Transportation Research Board.

Not available online.
Available from the Mn/DOT Library

Guidelines for snow and ice control: materials and methods

Transportation Research E-Circular, 10th AASHTO-TRB Maintenance Management Conference, Duluth, Minnesota, July 13, 2003-July 17, 2003. (Download PDF (1.73 MB))

This publication contains papers presented at the Tenth AASHTO–TRB Maintenance Management Conference held in Duluth, Minnesota, July 13-17, 2003.

A guide for selecting anti-icing chemicals

University of Iowa, 2001

Also see related article from Better Roads, August 200http://www.betterroads.com/content/Issue-overview.44.0.html?&no_cache=1&tx_magissue_pi1[pointer]=0&tx_magissue_pi1[mode]=1&tx_magissue_pi1[showUid]=952

Storm Water Management Fact Sheet: Minimizing Effects from Highway Deicing

United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1999. (Download PDF (232 KB PDF))

Climatological characterization of snowfall and snow drift in Minnesota (for the design of living snow fences)

University of Minnesota, 2002

Reports on the effectiveness of living snow fences in Minnesota.

Find more information on this topic:

These pre-constructed searches can help you find current resources on this topic.

• Minnesota Transportation Libraries: Snow and Ice Control
• TRIS Online and National Transportation Library Integrated Search: Snow and Ice Control
• WorldCat.org: Snow and Ice Control