Road Weather Management Program
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Keeping the Snow at Bay

Snow fences keep snow from burying Highway 20 in Nebraska.

The Challenge

During the winter, parts of Nebraska are raked by high winds that keep snow constantly blowing and swirling. When this blowing snow settles on roads, it can quickly form deep drifts. In Cherry County in the northwestern part of the State, drifting snow regularly closed Nebraska Highway 20.

In the past, the Nebraska Department of Roads (DOR) tried to prevent drifting by using 1.2-m-tall (4 ft) snow fences made of narrow wooden slats. Although these snow fences worked fairly well, more effective snow fences promised to keep the highway even clearer.

The DOR decided to evaluate new snow fence designs that had been evaluated under the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP). These snow fences and new guidelines on their placement were designed to trap more snow and reduce the loss of visibility caused by blowing snow.

Putting the Technology to the Test

In March 1995, the Nebraska DOR completed installation of 640 m (2,100 ft) of 2.4-m tall (8 ft) wood snow fences along Nebraska Highway 20 near Merriman in Cherry County.

The fences, built with treated lumber, are expected to last 25 years with little maintenance. John Stahl of Nebraska DOR reports that they have withstood winds as high as 110 km/h (70 mi/h). Because of the fences' durability and the fact that Nebraska rents the land where they are placed, the fences remain in place year-round.

Within a month after the snow fences were in place, the area was hit by two snowstorms that each blanketed the county with more than 230 mm (9 in) of snow. This could have been enough to cause drifts. But the new fences kept Highway 20 clear.

By preventing drifts on the highway, the snow fences reduce the amount of time and effort Nebraska DOR plow crews must spend clearing the road. Although the last two winters have brought less snow than usual, Nebraska DOR expects that plowing costs will drop with the use of the snow fences. SHRP reported that it costs 3 cents to intercept and divert a ton of snow with a snow fence over the life of the fence, and $3 to plow the same amount of snow.

The more important benefits, however, are to safety. The highway is now less likely to be covered with snow, and blowing snow no longer reduces visibility for drivers.

The Benefits

According to the Nebraska DOR, snow fences bring several advantages:

  • Less snow on the highway.
  • Lower snow removal costs.
  • Safer travel due to clearer roads and improved visibility.

For More Information

John Stahl, Nebraska DOR, 402-387-2471 (fax: 402-387-1498)
Paul Pisano, FHWA, 202-366-1301 (fax: 202-366-8712; email: paul.pisano@fhwa.dot.gov)

Publication No.: FHWA-SA-96-045 (CS084)

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