By Nate Jones
Staff Writer
After what seemed to be an early spring last week, Mainers were reminded of what winter is really like when about a foot of new snow fell Monday.
“If it weren’t for the thaw last week, I don’t know where we’d be putting [the snow],” Director of Scarborough Public Works Mike Shaw said the day after the storm.
Shaw said the public works crews were still working Tuesday afternoon after being called in at 4:30 a.m. Monday so they could pre-treat the roads with a layer of salt.
“It’s always easier to melt the ice from the bottom up,” Shaw said.
Of the 3,000 tons of salt and 6,000 tons of sand Scarborough purchased in preparation for the winter, 1,100 tons of salt and sand mix have hit the pavement, leaving about two thirds of the original stockpile left for the remainder of winter, Shaw said.
The estimate does not include the salt and sand used during Monday’s storm, during which public work plows used an estimated 70 to 80 tons of salt. Shaw said typically  two applications of 35 to 40 tons are used both before and after the snow  accumulates.
Shaw said he didn’t foresee the town having any shortage of salt or sand, as they typically use far less starting in March when the accumulation melts much quicker than in other winter months.
“There’s no cookbook to a storm,” Shaw said of his staff. “This one was time consuming but easy to manage.”
Although no new snow fell Tuesday, Shaw said the crews were busy shelving snow banks in preparation for the next storm, in addition to cleaning the vehicles.
“They amaze me every year,” Shaw said of the crews. “Their level of service is impressive.”
Shaw also said that the public works crews have been fortunate to have new equipment and a facility to keep it all maintained.
“After they get back they can wash off their trucks,” Shaw said.
Just as for commuter cars, Shaw said, the salt can wear away at plow vehicles over time causing breakdowns that result in unplowed roads.
Liquid calcium, a chemical applied to the salt in certain temperatures, is used sparingly “due to it’s extremely corrosive nature,” Shaw said.
This is not the first time the crews have put in long days, as they have worked several 100-hour weeks. Shaw said so far this year, Public Works has initiated “full crew call outs” a dozen times.
Dispatcher Brodie Hinckley of  the Scarborough Police Department said although Monday was the worst of the weather, there were not many serious calls for police or rescue workers. Tuesday morning was the real headache.
“The roads were still slippery even though people may not see snow,” he said, and encouraged drivers to be careful not only during a snowstorm but in the days that follow as well.
Deputy Chief Glen Deering said there were a “fair amount of short rescue calls” Monday, which were mostly due to slips and falls on ice.
“No real car accidents,” Deering said.
Scarborough firemen were also busy plowing and shoveling out the many fire hydrants around town, which results in some unplanned labor costs, although Deering said it “usually works out” and compared the snowfall of this year to the past two much milder winters.
“It was just a good old-fashioned nor’easter,” Shaw said.