Snowy Challenges and New Technology
Well after automobile use had become widespread, shopping centers, office parks and industrial centers saw the need for private snow removal equipment of their own to clear parking lots for their employees and customers. This created a market for smaller, customized equipment, and spurred technology to develop more specialized functions. Smaller plows and snow blowers were also in growing demand by private residents who sought to escape the rigors of the old-fashioned snow shovel.
In 1959, space technology entered the snow removal effort, and satellites observed and relayed climate and weather conditions, allowing for more accurate storm forecasting. While attempts at forecasting had been made earlier through weather-watchers using telegraphs, phones, and radios to communicate, this system could not be relied on with nearly as much accuracy. Cities were able to brace themselves in advance for severe winter weather and prepare for snow removal efforts. Also, increased use of media such as radio and television helped keep the public aware of impeding hazardous situations. Most of us realize how critical this has proven in our own lives, as many of us have been able to change or curtail our plans due to televised weather forecasts warning us of incoming storms, potential snowfall amounts, temperatures and wind chill factors.
As snow removal efforts progressed, protests against salt renewed, supported both by environmentalists and motorists whose cars were being corroded by years of heavy winter salt use. Environmental experts discovered in the late 1960s that salt use was corroding cars, damaging roadside plant life, polluting water supplies (including drinking water supplies), and killing fish in streams. Motorists were weary of repairing car corrosion after each winter, and road crews were discovering that salt was corrosive to roads and bridges as well. Improved salt spreaders resulted from these finds, using more efficient spreading gauges.
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