Talkin Winter Ops

Latest Episodes:

Episode 139: Don't give your spouse the leftovers Nov 19, 2025

Show notes

Winter maintenance is more than work plans, budgets, disasters and recovery. Your family plays a huge role in your public works career and public service often demands family sacrifice during times of crisis. Lots of times the two worlds of work and family overlap and sometimes collide. Mike Duffy is the Assistant Public Works Director at the City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Janis Duffy works for the State of Iowa Foster Care and Adoption Unit. During Mike's 16 years at the City and 10 years before that with the county they've raised children, survived community disasters, and family crisis.

They share their story, challenges, triumphs, and insights on this episode.

You might want to check out Engineer Your Success with Dr. James Bryant. James has been part of the winter maintenance community through his past role at Transportation Research Board.

If you're facing challenges with work - life balance please reach out to resources available in your community or through employee assistance programs available through your organization for help. You're not alone.

Sign up for email notifications on future episodes and other communications associated with winter maintenance and winter weather management by clicking on subscribe on the Talkin' Winter Ops website at TalkinWinterOps.com
Thanks for listening in and stay safe out there!

Episode 138: Designed for snowplows Oct 29, 2025

Show notes

Developing an infrastructure project is series of compromises and tradeoffs and so often maintenance and operations considerations end up on the cutting room floor. Unfortunately, those decisions have implications that agencies have to live with for a long time. In the case of the GARS Intersection project in Fairbanks, Alaska everyone knew that snow removal was to be a significant consideration during the development phase.

Sarah Schacher, Transportation Department Manager for the Michael Baker International Alaska office, describes the process that had maintenance as stakeholder and shares some of the discussions and compromises that unfolded during the design phase that made this an outstanding project.

Learn more about this unique intersection design at: https://dot.alaska.gov/nreg/garsreconstruction/ and email Sarah to discuss their process at Sarah.Schacher@mbakerintl.com

Episode 137: Innovation, the little ones are the big ones Sep 18, 2025

Show notes

A hundred and fifty years ago road departments leaned on the farmers next to the road to help maintain it and often times paid them to do so. As time marched on and road departments became DOTs with dedicated maintenance workers and tools and technology advanced there is still a lot of innovation that takes place in the maintenance garage.

On this episode we're talking winter ops with Indiana DOT’s Director of Innovation and Process Improvement Todd May. Trust and innovation are core values at the Indiana DOT and they have a program that encourages their employees to come up with ideas to work smarter and safer. Todd’s got plenty of stories and examples to share with us on this episode. If you want to find out more about innovation and process improvement at the Indiana DOT you can email him at ToMay@indot.IN.gov

Episode 136: Keep snow off the road with Snow Fence, Minnesota style Aug 21, 2025

Show notes

The easiest snow flake to remove from the roadway is the one that never lands on it. Seems obvious but how to make that happen? On this episode we’re Talkin Winter Ops with Dan Gullickson, Minnesota DOT supervisor of their Blowing Snow Program. Ever since the 1880’s when the railroads first started building snow fence to protect the track and the work on snow fence design that was part of the Strategic Highway Research Program in the 1990’s, engineers have been working to refine snow fence design, materials, and earthwork configurations to manage drifting snow and keep it off the road.

Listen in as Dan describes the latest state of the practice in snow fence design considerations they are employing at the Minnesota DOT.

For more information on building a snow fence program check out the FHWA Road Weather Spotlight webinar on September 10, 2025. Register for the webinar using this link: https://lnkd.in/e7YuJHdJ

You can reach Dan by email at daniel.gullickson@state.mn.us for more insight into their practice and while your at it check out this flyer from the University of Minnesota LTAP center on a solar powered snow fence project https://mnltap.umn.edu/ltapnews/2024/october/solarsnowfence

Episode 135: 2025 National Briefing - No Boundaries Jun 21, 2025

Show notes

This briefing features the No Boundaries Pool Fund Study. The No Boundaries pooled fund project is a community of practice of state DOT maintenance and operations professionals who share innovative maintenance technologies and practices to promote adaptation, implementation and broader use.

Check out the PRESENTATION SLIDE DECK and If you want more information about No Boundaries check out the NO BOUNDARIES WEBSITE

or email its Chair, Todd May or the program support staff Kirsten Seeber

Watch the video and presentation along with all the other briefings on our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@Talkinwinterops

Episode 134: 2025 National Briefing - Professional Snowfighters Association Jun 21, 2025

Show notes

This briefing features the Professional Snowfighters Association a North American based non-profit professional association dedicated to creating a community of practice, based upon adherence to sound science as it seeks to improve knowledge and practices in the pursuit of safe and sustainable snowfighting by the winter maintenance community.

For more information about this organization you can check out the PROFESSIONAL SNOWFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION WEBSITE or email its President Dr. Wilf Nixon, PE

Watch the video and presentation along with all the other briefings on our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@Talkinwinterops

Episode 133: 2025 National Briefing - AMS Jun 21, 2025

Show notes

This briefing features the work of the American Meteorological Societies Committee on Road Weather and Technology. Focusing on advances weather science and technologies to fashion solutions to advance mobility during winter events the committee has many projects relevant to the highway community.

Check out the PRESENTATION SLIDE DECK and If you want more information about this Committee you can check out the ROAD WEATHER AND TECHNOLOGY WEBSITE

or email the Chair, Dr. Brittany Welsh

Watch the video and presentation along with all the other briefings on our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@Talkinwinterops

Episode 132: 2025 PIARC Winter Service Technical Committee Jun 21, 2025

Show notes

This briefing features the international Winter Service Technical Service Committee of the PIARC. This Technical Committee focuses on activities facing all winter maintenance organizations across the globe.

Check out the PRESENTATION SLIDE DECK and If you want more information about this Technical Committee you can check out their website at: PIARC Winter Service TC

or email Chair Peter Nutz

Watch the video and presentation along with all the other briefings on our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@Talkinwinterops

Episode 131: 2025 National Briefing - APWA Jun 21, 2025

Show notes

American Public Works Associations Winter Maintenance Subcommittee is the focus of this briefing. The Winter Maintenance Subcommittee’s mission is to promote the development and use of the safest, most cost-effective, efficient, and environmentally sensitive winter maintenance technologies, equipment, materials, and practices; thus providing citizens with excellent quality of life during the snow and ice season.

If you want more information about this organization you can check out the WINTER MAINTENANCE SUBCOMMITTEE WEBSITE

or email the Chair Matt Morreim

Watch the video and presentation along with all the other briefings on our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@Talkinwinterops

Episode 130: 2025 National Briefing - MDSS Jun 21, 2025

Show notes

This episode of the National Briefing features the Maintenance Decision Support System Pool Fund Study. This organization is advancing winter maintenance decision support through advanced forecasting and understanding of the winter weather system yielding an operational system to aid agencies in winter maintenance treatment strategies.

Check out the PRESENTATION SLIDE DECK and If you want more information about this project you can check out the MDSS WEBSITE

or email its Chair Dave Huft or project support team Shawn Truelson

Watch the video and presentation along with all the other briefings on our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@Talkinwinterops