Winter's snowy start

The Chicago Tribune reports the Windy City is off to its snowiest start in 27 years. Commute times in normally-excellent-snowfighting Chicago lengthened from one hour to five hours. Preparation and training are the keys to executing good winter operations. In Illinois, a study by Global Insight, commissioned by the Salt Institute earlier this year, found that failing to clear roadways costs $350 million every day, including $220 million in lost wages and nearly $100 million in lost retail sales. At Christmas-time, the lost sales could be even higher! The Salt Institute website has more information on winter safety and mobility.