One of Hillsdale College’s snowplows. Skye Graham | Collegian
Hillsdale has suffered more snow-related car crashes this season as the county faces historically low temperatures, according to the Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Department.
“We have seen an increase in slide-offs and in two-car accidents in the county this year with the amount of snow that we received,” Undersheriff Nate Lambright said. “That has increased our personnel to be traveling all over the county.”
At the Jan. 20 city council meeting, Ward 4 Councilman Joshua Paladino and Ward 3 Councilman Bob Flynn questioned Director of Public Services Jason Blake about how efficiently the Hillsdale roads are being cleared in response to the weather.
“You’ve heard this probably even before you took the job: why can you drive to Jackson County, Lenawee County, Branch County, and the roads improve a thousand percent, and yet you know exactly when you pull into Hillsdale County,” Flynn said.
Blake explained that the roads are not cleared outside of normal working hours unless there are more than four inches of snow or freezing rain conditions, as prescribed by city policy. He said, however, that he makes exceptions to the policy depending on the forecast.
“Every storm is a living, breathing thing. It’s so different,” Blake said. “If the temperatures tomorrow are projected to go below 15, 20, or zero, then we’re going to try and get off as much as we can before that cold snap. As soon as it’s on, it’s on for weeks.”
Hillsdale County tends to have lower-quality roads than the surrounding areas due to lower traffic levels, Blake said. When traffic is heavy, roads clear off faster because the heat from the cars reacts with the salt, melting the ice, according to Blake at the Jan. 20 city council meeting.
Southeast Michigan this winter saw its coldest temperatures since the 2019 polar vortex, which caused wind-chills of between minus 20 and minus 40 degrees. In the past five days, more than eight inches of snow have fallen in Hillsdale, and the cold gives it little chance to melt.
The Hillsdale County Road Commission said its drivers are working hard to clear the roads during harsh weather in a Jan. 25 Facebook statement.
“Unfortunately, with the snow coming down, we aren’t able to make much headway,” HCRC said. “We are focusing on paved roads. We appreciate your patience as we continue to fight Mother Nature.”
Paladino said this winter is abnormally cold, making residents more concerned about road conditions.
“I think the only abnormal thing about this year so far is that Michigan has had very mild winters for several years until now,” Paladino said. “I think we’ve just gotten used to the snow hitting the ground and basically melting, so that might be part of the reason that there’s some more concern.”
Paladino said the city council has not prioritized snow removal as much as other issues in recent years because there’s no simple solution to the problem.
“I don’t think it’s come up as a major issue during my time on council,” Paladino said. “It comes up occasionally, but I get the impression that it’s not something we can have some sort of revolutionary policy approach to.”
According to Blake, the city will always prioritize major roads such as Hillsdale Street, M-99, and Manning Street over smaller local roads and cul-de-sacs.
Anthony LoPresto, Hillsdale resident and United States Postal Service employee, said the conditions on the roads impede his ability to do his job safely.
“Back roads are obviously the worst and get little to no attention,” LoPresto said. “It’s not uncommon for me to be the first one to even travel down many of these roads after a fresh snow or ice storm. Unfortunately, as a mail carrier, you’re expected to at least attempt to drive down the roads regardless of the condition.”
LoPresto said he would like the HCRC to consider prioritizing back roads to make it safer for drivers.
“Obviously, you can’t please everybody, but Michigan winters are notorious for being extremely dangerous,” LoPresto said. “Prioritizing maintenance on roads that turn into sheets of ice should be taken very seriously.”
Robert Baxter, owner of Baxter Lawn and Snow, a lawn care and snow removal company in Hillsdale, said the salt shortage, which primarily impacts Michigan, complicates his ability to clear roads effectively.
The shortage, Baxter said, is also driving up the costs of salt.
“The salt shortage has been causing quite a bit of a mess for everyone,” Baxter said. “We are all feeling the struggle, and to make it worse, the salt price has tripled.”
According to the Lansing State Journal, the “salt shortage” is less about a lack of salt availability and more about the difficulty of getting the salt delivered.
Baxter said his workers are always well prepared before a snowstorm hits, and work hard removing snow during early mornings and late nights. Baxter said his company communicates well with Hillsdale’s city government and is willing to help the city with snow removal if it needs assistance.
“It’s a tough, demanding job, but Hillsdale has a great group of guys that rise to the challenge in these poor weather conditions,” Baxter said.
An earlier version misnamed Ward 3 Councilman Bob Flynn.
