COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — March is technically Denver's snowiest month on average, and landscape companies work around the clock preparing to remove snow across the metro area.
Nicole Stone with LMI Colorado in partnership with the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado explained there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes before they deploy their snow removal crews.
Stone said her teams start watching the forecast and preparing the equipment days before a storm arrives. They mobilize larger equipment depending on the forecast, talk with crews, load trucks with shovels and ice melt, and make sure all vehicles have updated routing books.
Once crews and equipment have been checked, Stone explained the teams start more constant chatter with properties and managers. It is at that point, they wait for the flakes to start falling, Stone said.
The average truck weighs 5,600 pounds, and with the added weight of the plow, it is around 6,570 pounds. As these trucks move through HOAs, apartments, hospitals, and office complexes, hitting the targeted placement for the snow piles becomes a fun challenge, Stone explained.
Stone emphasized some of the major challenges companies face can be as simple as the timing of snowstorms. When storms move in during rush hour and accumulation starts, that also puts their teams in rush hour, which delays response time, she explained.
Other challenges include where they place the snow piles on-site. Stone said sometimes the designated areas to dump the snow, have vehicles parked in them. She said this makes teams change where piles will be placed.
Stone claims one of the largest challenges is reminding customers about the difficulties of shoveling snow. While it may seem simple depending on the storm, if it is heavy and wet or light and fluffy, it all must be moved. She said her teams are not sprinting, they are running a marathon, that normally goes for 12 hours. Most of the time, they are working overnight and in cold temperatures and are always at the mercy of Mother Nature.
Watch the video above to get a behind the scenes look at how snow removal companies prepare for winter storms.