The winter maintenance schedule is winding down as we make way for spring

Our 2023-24 winter maintenance schedule has ended.

October each year begins our annual winter maintenance schedule, which is in place to help residents, road users and commuters get around as safely as possible and minimize delays caused by adverse weather conditions, including heavy snowfall, floods and storms.

It turned out to be a cold and very wet winter, with temperatures often dropping below freezing overnight. Storms Babet, Gerrit, Isha and Kathleen dumped damaging trees and swelling local rivers and canals. It wasn’t until February that Kirklees saw its heaviest snowfall of the season.

What does the number say?

• 4000 gutters cleaned in preparation for winter
• 75 drivers and support staff working on a 24/7 shift.
• 25,000 tons of salt ready at our warehouses, in preparation for the winter weather.
• 624 miles of the roads in Kirklees were crushed on a standard course (that’s longer than the distance between Land’s End and John O’Groats!)
• 55 grits carried out this winter.
• Maintain and replenish 1450 sand containers.
• Standard sand features usually cost between £18,000 – £30,000.
• 93 – 260 tons of salt used in a standard sand.

Essential snow guards for communities

The Snow Wardens scheme is a national voluntary initiative. This year Kirklees had 51 snow wardens supporting our winter highway maintenance scheme. We provide volunteers with training and equipment so they can help in their communities. Each snow guard receives a snow shovel, shovel, high visibility, snow handles and sand from one of our warehouses.

Haven’t you seen a gritter?

Our grating program is designed to cause as little disruption to road users as possible. That’s why we normally go wrong after 6pm and around 5am. Check out our online gritting routes.

With four weather stations and specialist weather forecasting, it allows us to get the most accurate forecast for Kirklees, which helps the council prepare for severe weather.

That’s it for another year!

Keep up to date every winter with gritting services, winter tips and tricks on our dedicated x account (formerly Twitter) @KirkleesWinter and see you in October!