Lack of winter weather this season a plus for many
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Even if there were anyone around at Boyce Park to heed the signs Feb. 6, there was almost no snow to be seen as the temperatures reached into the upper 40s. -
Work continues on a bridge on McArdle Roadway on the South Side. The weather has allowed outdoor construction to continue throughout the winter.
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Winter for the Pittsburgh region came in like a lamb in December with an average temperature of 37.5 degrees -- 5.1 degrees above the monthly average -- and snowfall of 1.2 inches, well below the normal monthly average of 8.3 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
Above-average temperatures have continued in January and February. With a little more than four weeks before spring, some businesses are benefiting from the mild season while others are hoping for the perfect storm to ice roadways, freeze pipes and, potentially, help their bottom lines.
-- Deborah Todd
It's been a million-dollar winter for Pittsburgh International Airport. And that means it's been a good one for travelers and airlines operating out of the Findlay airport.
The airport's spending on rock salt, chemicals, sand and diesel fuel to combat snow and ice is down $1.3 million from the 2010-2011 season, a testament to just how mild this winter has been.
"This year to date, it's been kind on man and machine," said Bradley D. Penrod, executive director of the Allegheny County Airport Authority, which operates Pittsburgh International.
In the 2010-2011 winter, the authority spent $2.3 million on snow removal and deicing operations. The previous winter, it shelled out $1.3 million.
This season has both those numbers beat, with $1 million in expenditures to date. Mr. Penrod said last winter was probably harsher than a normal one, with a lot of very cold weather that required the use of deicing chemicals to keep runways, ramps and taxiways ice free.
It has been just the opposite this winter. So far, the airport has used 89,271 gallons of potassium acetate, a deicing and anti-icing chemical used on airfields, compared with 253,368 gallons last winter.
Rock salt usage also is way down -- 1,190 tons this season compared with nearly 2,000 tons in 2010-2011 and 2009-2010. Diesel fuel consumption has been cut by more than half, from 53,181 gallons last winter to 24,566 gallons so far in 2011-2012.
Last winter, Mr. Penrod said the airport at one point had 21 consecutive days on which it was plowing snow or fighting ice. This season, the most consecutive days the airport has spent battling the elements has been three.
First Published February 19, 2012 12:00 am
