Snow Removal

HARTINGTON – Even though the first day of winter is Dec. 21, snow is a common sight in northeast Nebraska well before that date arrives each year.

That means county highway superintendents like Cedar County’s Carla Schmidt have their eyes on the skies – and weather forecasts – so they are aware of and prepared for snowy weather predictions.

“We obviously pay attention to the weather forecast, and if a large storm is being forecast, we are all hands on deck,” Schmidt said of the county road department’s employees.

Schmidt noted bus and mail routes in Cedar County are prioritized first for plowing snow.

“Since it’s not advantageous to move snow while the wind is blowing, we usually wait until the wind dies down and then go open roads,” Schmidt said.

Cedar County has six road department shops spread out among the following communities: Coleridge, Hartington, Laurel, Menominee, Randolph and Wynot.

“We have 23 guys total and 20 motor graders,” Schmidt said. “We put plows on each machine every winter for snow removal. We don’t have snowplow trucks like the state (Department of Transportation). We also use loaders to assist with snow removal, as necessary.”

Schmidt, who has been the Cedar County highway superintendent for 14 years, said the county road department does not “use salt much since the vast majority of county roads are gravel.”

“I don’t recall a specific winter being the worst,” Schmidt said. “Some years we move more snow than others.”

With snowy weather, one question often asked every holiday season is: What are the chances of a white Christmas?

The National Weather Service defines a white Christmas as having one inch or more of snow on the ground on the morning of Dec. 25.

According to historical data from the National Climatic Data Center, northeast Nebraska has a 40-60 percent probability of having a white Christmas in 2023.

The most recent Dec. 25 weather forecast for Cedar County this year is a high temperature in the 40s and a low temperature in the 20s with a less-than-50 percent chance of rain and snow showers.