What Happens When the Snow Doesn't Melt?

"This past week in New York City, fifteen inches of snow fell and more than twenty-two hundred snowplows pushed it away. Twelve thousand miles of sidewalk were shovelled. Two hundred and nine million pounds of salt were spread, and, after it got really bad, two hundred thousand gallons of calcium chloride, a chemical ice melt, were deployed. Sometimes the work you do leaves its mark; sometimes it doesn't."

""Sneckdown" is a portmanteau of "snow" and "neckdown," a term for a part of the sidewalk, also known as a curb extension, that juts into the street, to protect pedestrians. The sneckdown is the snow that builds up on parts of the street that cars don't use, acting as a natural curb extension. At intersections, it can be found mostly on corners, as the city pushes it one way and property owners push it the other."

Fifteen inches of snow fell across New York City, triggering more than twenty-two hundred snowplows, twelve thousand miles of shoveled sidewalks, two hundred and nine million pounds of spread salt, and two hundred thousand gallons of calcium chloride ice melt. Persistent subfreezing temperatures allowed snow to harden into ice and settle in street areas unused by vehicles. Those icy buildups, called sneckdowns, form natural curb extensions where cars do not travel, especially at intersections and corners where municipal and private clearing differ. Sneckdowns obstruct pedestrian paths and reveal opportunities for reclaiming street space and reducing car dependence in urban design.

Read at The New Yorker