How Bethlehem Township Handled 32" Snowstorm

In his monthly report for January, Public Works Director Richard Grube discussed the 32" of snow that fell in Bethlehem Township, which he called "the single largest recorded snowfall in Lehigh Valley history." 

Grube indicated that, for nearly an entire week, weather forecasters had been calling for a major snowstorm. "The snow was so deep in some areas our trucks could not push it back. Small trucks that we typically use in cul-de-sacs were getting stuck in the deep snow and had to be pulled out of the drifts.Our plows and trucks took quite a beating trying to push this record amount of snow. Many plows needed welding as the weight of the snow cracked frames and broke several blades. After the storm our crews tried to get around to all of the Bethlehem Area School District bus stops to try to move the mountains of snow at these locations so that children had a place to wait for buses. We also started to clean snow off of storm drains to allow melt water a place to go."