Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, KS
09/19/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/19/2025 08:19
Teams Prepare for Winter at 2025 Snow Roadeo
Teams Prepare for Winter at 2025 Snow Roadeo
Published on September 19, 2025
Winter is coming, and the Unified Government's (UG) Public Works Department is gearing up for another season of keeping roads and facilities safe. This year, the Seventh Annual Snow Roadeo, an event that has become a cornerstone in winter preparedness, brought together members from the Street Maintenance, Fleet Services, and Environmental Services divisions of Public Works, along with team members from the Parks & Recreation Department, to ensure they are ready for the challenges of the colder months.
Held in the parking lot at 4th and Minnesota, the Snow Roadeo helps team members sharpen their skills and ensures that all equipment is in top working order ahead of the winter season. Drivers faced a challenging course designed to simulate real-world obstacles with tight turns, advanced backing, and cones representing parked vehicles. The event is important for rookies and veterans to refine their techniques while fostering teamwork and camaraderie across departments.
We are proud to announce the champions of this year's competition:
- 1st Place: Lucas Isaacs, Parks & Recreation
- 2nd Place: Ethan Isaacs, Parks & Recreation
- 3rd Place: Jacob Ogden, Parks & Recreation (also named Rookie of the Year)
Congratulations to Lucas, Ethan, and Jacob for their impressive skills! While Parks & Recreation competitors took home the top three spots, the Street Maintenance division also showcased standout talent. The top performers, Chris Traffis, Gene Mccombs, Matthew Stark, James Petty, and Michael Tarwater, will represent the UG at the American Public Works Association's (APWA) Mid-America Equipment Expo from October 8 to 11.
The APWA Mid-America Equipment Expo is one of the region's premier training and competition events for public works professionals. Participants take part in hands-on equipment challenges such as skid steer, loader, and truck operations, while also attending workshops on safety, communication, and team building. The Expo is an opportunity to showcase skills, learn from peers across the metro, and bring home new techniques that improve service back in the community.
"The Snow Roadeo is more than a competition. It's a reminder of the dedication and skill our teams bring to the community every day. I'm proud of the hard work and teamwork shown by everyone who participated," said Street Manager, Dewayne Smith. "Their commitment ensures that we're ready to get to work when winter weather arrives."
The Public Works Department thanks everyone who made the 2025 Snow Roadeo a success. Stay tuned for more updates, and best of luck to the UG team at the APWA Equipment Expo!
Want to get a head-start on winter weather operations? Visit wycokck.org/Snow or check out this helpful info:
The Goal is to Return Traction to Streets
The purpose of winter weather operations isn't to clean and clear streets. The goal is to restore traction to streets so that motorists can be as safe as possible. Restoring traction to streets can be a tricky business, but there are generally four ways traction can be restored to streets during winter weather:
- Restoring traction by plowing
- Restoring traction by using salt
- Restoring traction by using sand
- Restoring traction by using a combination of plowing, salting, and sanding
When temperatures fall below 15-degrees Fahrenheit, the salt melts ice and snow more slowly. The colder it is outside, the longer it takes salt to do its work, which impacts winter weather operations. During some storms, traction can be restored by moving snow away from roads with plows, and in other storms, traction can be restored by using only a salt treatment. In other cases, plowing a street may reduce traction - especially in neighborhoods.
When snow becomes tightly packed, ice forms underneath. In these instances, drivers may not plow because removing the top layer of snowpack would leave a solid sheet of ice that salt treatment cannot melt quickly or efficiently. Although it seems counterintuitive, a small amount of snowpack can increase traction and keep motorists safer than they may otherwise be.
How Much Salt Melts 1 lb of Ice?
Salt is one of the many tools the Snow Crew uses to return traction to streets. Unfortunately, it becomes less effective the colder it is outside.
As temperatures decline below 15-degrees Fahrenheit, salt treatment works more slowly. The following chart illustrates how much ice one pound of salt can melt, depending on the temperature:
When temperatures are extremely low, you may not see much melting, but that doesn't mean the salt isn't there. Remember to be patient and slow down if you're out.
Avoid Parking on the Street
Don't park in the street whenever possible. It is dangerous and difficult to plow streets congested with parked vehicles. Some streets may not be plowed if plows cannot safely maneuver them.
The most helpful thing residents can do to facilitate snow removal is to get their cars off the street and encourage others to do the same. Residents with no other option other than on-street parking should park as close to the curb as possible.
Help Keep Snow Out of Your Driveway
One of the most frequent concerns in the removal of snow from public streets is snow being pushed back into driveways during plowing operations. As plows travel along streets, the snow accumulated on the plow blade has no place to go but on the adjacent streets and in driveways. The more snow that has fallen, the greater the problem will be.
- Residents can reduce the likelihood of snow blocking their driveway by shoveling snow to the right while facing the street. Doing this will help snowplow drivers avoid carrying piles from the "upstream" side back across driveways.
- In addition, shoving or blowing snow/ice into streets may cause hazardous conditions to other drivers. Residents and property owners are encouraged to follow the directions above in both commercial and residential areas.
More Winter Weather Tips
For more tips, view or download Public Works' Helpful Tips for the Winter Season PDF.
Explore Winter Weather Operations
Visit Winter Weather Webpage
Explore Street Maintenance
Visit Street Maintenance Webpage
Explore Public Works
Visit Public Works Webpage
Tagged as:
- Announcements
- Honors & Celebration
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Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, KS published this content on September 19, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 19, 2025 at 14:20 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]