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Moscow had snow last week. It wasn't snowing hard nor it was unexpected. It just kept on falling for a few days. Soon the roads required far more than the usual maintenance to be cleared.


I have snow melting station near my home and I watched trucks coming in day and night. At some point it couldn't process so much snow so trucks started forming long queues alongside the street waiting to unload.



I have to admit the city handled it pretty well. Here is garbage truck repurposed for snow duty. Clever.


#Moscow #winter #myphoto

#myphoto #Moscow #winter
BR 549 ☎
BR 549 ☎  
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Austin, Texas is completely paralyzed by a similar amount of snow.

of course, Austin is at the same latitude as Cairo, Egypt. this snowfall is breaking records for winter weather here. more precipitation is expected Wednesday, and the temperature will stay below freezing until Thursday or Friday.
BR 549 ☎
BR 549 ☎  
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what is a snow melting station?

does it simply consume fuel to melt the snow? does it employ the snow as a thermodynamic heat sink, to generate useful energy? does it produce potable water?
Trocatintas
Trocatintas  
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Found this -> Snow-melting stations
It's in St. Petersburg, but the principle might be close.
The operating principle of the Snow Melting Stations is based on sewage heat (the temperature of around 16°C even in winter) melting the snow collected in the snow collection chambers. Melt water mixed with wastewater is discharged into the sewerage collectors and transported for a full treatment to the wastewater treatment plant
Alexander
Alexander  
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@Trocatintas Yes, it is the same. They used to just dump snow in the river or somewhere else but there were problems. Cities have too much snow and it absorbs all kinds of pollution. When tons of snow melt the pollutants are released and it doesn't look pretty.

Also snow melting stations can process a lot of snow in one place - up to one truckload per minute.

@BR 549 ☎ - yes, it seems everyone gets plenty of winter this season :)
@BR 549 ☎ @Trocatintas
Iron Bug
Iron Bug  
@Alexander I heard Moscow citizens complained they has almost no snow the past winters, and here it is, for the whole period :)
we have had severe cold and crazy temperature jumps from 0C to -20C and back in one day, but no too bad snow falls lately
@Alexander
Alexander
Alexander  
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Yes, it is quite boring most of the time, no real winter for years - and finally it comes :) I hope it stays this way for a while without turning into the usual wet mess.
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