Eye on the storm

Be prepared. The Boy Scout motto sums up how landscape firms that offer snow and ice management must approach their business during winter.

Be prepared, because there’s no telling exactly what the weather will do.

Be prepared, because you’ve got crews to dispatch.

Be prepared, because equipment and materials must be ready and waiting (and in good working condition).

Be prepared, because high-maintenance accounts expect completely clear properties.

Preparing for the unknown is tough, and there’s no greater variable than Mother Nature, especially in the last few years, with such unpredictable weather, says Gary Benson, owner, Dreamscapes Development, Buffalo, N.Y. “We went from record snow fall the year before to lack of snowfall this past year,” he says. “It was unprecedented. I can’t remember a time when we only went out a dozen or so times in a season.

“It just seems very hard to get a pulse on what’s happening with the weather,” Benson adds.

“It’s not just about is it snowing or not? Sometimes, the wind can be blowing from a certain direction and take snow from roofs and throw it in front of buildings.” Jeremy Anderson, owner, Anderson Custom Landscapes

That’s partly because no forecast is perfect. “We try to watch as many weather stations, then we look at them all and determine a common theme,” says Robert Smith, operations manager, Lakeview Lawn and Landscape, Canandaigua, N.Y.

Smith and other professionals in the industry share the frustration of preparing for a “big one” only to find a dusting of white powder after weather warnings. And there are the surprises, when reports call for barely any accumulation and the area gets dumped on.

Depending on the location, mountains and water impact how quickly storms move in and scatter. For all these reasons, “I don’t think we can be prepared enough,” Smith says simply.

Lawn & Landscape spoke with snow and ice professionals throughout the country on how to watch for weather and react to reports.

Watching the weather.

There are many eyes on the weather at Longs Peak Landscape in Longmont, Colorado. Supervisors in charge of areas the company serves – from Boulder to Fort Collins, Loveland and Firestone – watch the conditions in their pocket of the region.

“We use Cdot cameras to watch the I-25 corridor and other main roads in Boulder,” says Raymond Tyler, senior operations manager. Colorado Department of Transportation’s “Cdot” live webcams show what’s happening on the streets in real time.

The company also relies on NOAA Weather Radio and uses a company called Skyview, which contacts Longs Peak Landscape with weather reports.

“Our supervisors are trained to watch, and they have their trucks at their areas of the world here they take care of, so they know when the snow will hit,” Tyler says, relating that supervisors then message or call crewmembers to help. “It’s important to have the right people in the right areas.”

This “pod” approach with supervisors keeping track of their areas’ weather conditions works for Longs Peak. Because having people on the ground is the best way to really see what the weather is bringing, says Jeremy Anderson, owner, Anderson Custom Landscapes, Mankato, Minnesota.

“We have to be active, be outside,” he says, noting that high-touch accounts need snow services whether or not the white stuff is falling from the sky. “It’s not just about is it snowing or not? Sometimes, the wind can be blowing from a certain direction and take snow from roofs and throw it in front of buildings.”

The weather service is not reporting on rooftop drifts that land in a commercial parking lot. Meanwhile, Anderson says his team watches FutureCast reports on their mobiles to keep tabs on new accumulation.

Smith says there’s a schedule at Lakeview Lawn and Landscape where managers check weather on certain days of the week. “It’s not the same guy checking daily, but we have someone checking every area at all times,” he says.

At Dreamscapes, servicing NOAA weather station as a client has benefits, Benson says. “We’ve been taking care of them for the last 13 years, so there is an occasion where there’s a wicked system they have been watching, they will give us a courtesy call.”

Benson’s team also watches AccuWeather and WeatherBug. Local news media is always on the radar, as well. As for who’s responsible for watching reports, Benson says the weather and construction manager oversees this – but most everyone keeps tabs on reports. “You find yourself drawn to the news and you’re sitting at the edge of your seat watching what’s coming up,” he says.

Weather gets personal in the snow business. “Everyone is planning whether they can go out, should they make dinner, should they get a sitter for the kids because they might be tied up for a few days with snow,” Benson says.

All systems a go.

There are weather systems we watch on radar to see how they develop, and there are the in-house systems in place to react to what Mother Nature is about to deliver.

Last year, Dreamscapes implemented One Call, a voice text and email system. With 90 people on staff helping with snow, alerting everyone on the team in a timely manner can be a challenge. Now, the weather and construction manager can send an email from any device (tablet, cell phone, laptop) and the alert goes to crewmembers’ mobile phones.

“He might send out an update that says, ‘We’re not sure if a storm is coming in, but make sure you are ready and make arrangements,’” Benson says. “Then as we get closer, he’ll send out new updates, and we can use One Call to dispatch drivers.” What Benson likes about One Call is that it requires recipients to provide confirmation.

“They can press 1 to acknowledge receiving the message, and press 2 if they need to be contacted by a manager because they are not available,” Benson says. “The administrator can see who got the message, who listened to it and who is available to work.”

Dreamscapes also uses One Call to contact its customers prior to severe ice storms. A message will inquire whether clients want their properties pre-treated. “This goes on file so if they have a slip-and-fall incident, it kind of eliminates some liability on our part,” Benson says.

Speaking of liability, Benson says the GPS systems in the field collect live data, showing when trucks are salting, how long broadcasters were spreading, vehicle speed and more.

“Because of all the frivolous lawsuits in winter and the rising cost of insurance, I think by far one of the most valuable pieces of equipment you can invest in is GPS,” Benson says.

For example, a commercial client called to complain that one of Dreamscapes’ crewmembers was “speeding in the parking lot.” So Benson pulled a GPS report and saw the driver was going just 4.5 mph. “Rather than putting this driver on the defense, we can say, ‘The driver did a good job. He was driving carefully and cautiously.’”

As for communicating back and forth while in the field, two-way radios are essential, Benson says. For one, it’s illegal to talk on a cell phone while driving in New York. And two, the radios are paired with a live dispatch so customer calls are coming in and crews are reacting immediately.

Smith says at Lakeview Lawn and Landscape, two operations managers (including himself) carefully watch forecasts and prepare for the weather. Standard operating procedures include several levels of preparation for ice events (freezing rain), normal 2-inch snowfalls and snowstorms (6-plus inches).

“We analyze equipment to make sure it is prepared, and if trucks haven’t been used in a couple of weeks we make sure they have fluids and plows are hooked up,” Smith says. With five different salt locations in the area, managers ensure all materials are available.

Managers then confirm with supervisors that everyone is rested and ready to go. “The goal is to be as prepared as possible for whatever weather is coming our way and to deal with the present conditions,” Smith says.

Before the season starts, preparation happens via equipment rodeos and other training sessions.

“That way, we can put our best team on the field and in the right positions,” Smith says.