Northeast Fleets Gear Up for Winter Storm Stella
Agencies across the Northeast U.S. deployed their fleets to respond to the heavy snow and winds of Winter Storm Stella, which hit Tuesday.

Photo via Flickr/Oregon Department of Transportation

Photo via Flickr/Oregon Department of Transportation
Agencies across the Northeast U.S. deployed their fleets to respond to the heavy snow and winds of Winter Storm Stella, which hit Tuesday.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey assured passengers that it was prepared for the storm, with hundreds of pieces of snow equipment at its airports and dozens of pieces of snow equipment at bridges and tunnels, including including melters that can liquefy up to 500 tons of snow per hour and plows that can clear snow at 40 mph.
The agency also reported having thousands of tons of salt and sand, hundreds of thousands of gallons of liquid anti-icer chemicals to prevent snow and ice from bonding to runways and taxiways, and thousands of tons of solid de-icers to break up snow and ice already on the ground.
Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy declared a state of emergency on Monday in preparation of the storm. The state fleet deployed its entire snow plow fleet to help clear roads.
The state was hit with about 18 inches of snow, according to the Hartford Courant. Early Wednesday morning, Gov. Malloy announced that all state employees should report to work as scheduled, but warned residents to stay cautious.
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced Monday that the Department of Transportation (PennDOT) had 4,800 equipment operators, 49 snow blowers, and more than 2,000 plow trucks ready for around-the-clock duty beginning Monday evening to keep roadways passable.
The City of Rome, N.Y., expected about a foot of snow. Before it hit, the city's Public Works Department went through its fleet of plow trucks to ensure all maintenance was up to date, according to the Rome Sentinel. After the storm, the Sentinel reported that the city was hit with nearly two feet of snow, and crews spent about 12 straight hours plowing on Tuesday, with a smaller shift taking on the task overnight.
The City of Schenectady, N.Y., used this storm as an opportunity to test a new GPS system for plows, reports the Times Union. GPS tracking devices were installed on 70 city vehicles, including 20 snow plows. The city also got assistance from three private contractors to clear roads.
New York City's Department of Sanitation (DSNY) issued a snow alert on Monday, which allowed it to begin loading salt spreaders, attaching plows, preparing tire chains, and notifying other city agencies and supplementary personnel as needed. DSNY maintains 689 salt spreaders and 1,600 snow plows. It also stocked up on 283,000 tons of salt, reports the Brooklyn Paper.
More Operations

How Oil Analysis, Safety Technology, and Fleet Awards Drive Improvement
What happens when fleets let measured results guide their next decision?
Read More →
Emergency Response, Fleet Sales and New Technology
This week’s fleet news covers emergency preparedness, shifting vehicle sales, electric truck investments, and new tools for monitoring road conditions.
Read More →
NCDOT Adds Dash Cam Imagery to Statewide Traffic Monitoring
North Carolina transportation officials are adding another set of eyes to roads that aren't covered by fixed traffic cameras. A statewide deployment gives NCDOT access to on-vehicle imagery to verify conditions during work zones, severe weather, emergencies, and other traffic events.
Read More →
Turning a Bottleneck Into a Blueprint: How Tallahassee Rethought Police Fleet Readiness
For Tallahassee, finally receiving 87 delayed police cruisers created a new problem: how to get them on the road without creating a massive backlog. The solution would change more than the upfit process.
Read More →
AI, Police Fleet Readiness and Fire Apparatus News
See how AI, a reworked police-vehicle upfitting process, and a fire apparatus acquisition could affect public fleet operations.
Read More →
How AI and Automation Work Together to Reduce Government Fleet Downtime
As their assets age and their budgets’ purchasing power shrinks, government fleet managers are facing growing pressure to do more with less.
Read More →
Police Fleet Innovation, EV Strategy and AI
See how public fleets are rethinking police vehicle readiness, electrification, workplace culture, and driver workflows.
Read More →
From What He Inherited to What He’ll Leave Behind: David Renschler’s Lessons in Leadership
David Renschler walked into Fairfield with plenty to learn and no idea what awaited him. Twenty years later, the lessons from what came next are still shaping his approach to fleet.
Read More →
Have Fleets Changed Enough to Solve the Technician Shortage?
Are government fleets finally closing the gap on the technician shortage, or are critical challenges still holding them back?
Read More →
How Public Fleets Are Rethinking Vehicles, EVs, and Culture
From mission-specific vehicles to EV planning and culture change, this week’s stories show how public fleets are rethinking the way they operate.
Read More →

