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We’re not scared of winter at the Casper/Natrona County International Airport because efficient and effective snow removal procedures are in place to keep flights coming and going as usual. At C/NCIA, our maintenance crew is responsible for clearing the snow on our 10,165-foot-long and 150-foot-wide primary runway, 8,600-foot-long and 150-foot-wide crosswind runway, taxiways, aircraft parking ramps, vehicle parking lots, and vehicle roadways. Here’s how they do it in the heart of Wyoming.

Snow Removal Protocol 

Once winter begins, our snow removal crew is prepared to answer early morning phone calls with a report of any wet snow over 1/8 – 1/4 inch. Once notified, the crew typically arrives on site within 30 minutes to start the snow removal process of clearing the main runway and associated taxiways for the FedEx jet that typically lands around 5:00 a.m., with the first commercial flights for the day departing closely after. While a lot of focus is on clearing snow from the airfield, an equal amount of attention is paid to the 14 miles of roadways and parking lots at the Airport. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to ensure an aircraft can take off and land if the passengers can’t get in or out of the Airport to begin with. 

Breaking Action 

After a snowfall, most drivers can tap the brakes in their car to evaluate how slippery the roads are and will drive slower to compensate for icy conditions. Conversely, Aircraft can’t land any slower, so determining how “slick” a runway is, is not only critical information for a pilot landing but something that needs to be communicated objectively. 

The Operations Department uses an instrument that attaches to the back of a vehicle and measures friction on the runway surface to help determine how effective aircraft brakes will be upon landing. Hundreds of measurements are taken each runway pass, and the numerical friction reading is then entered into a database and provided to pilots so they are aware of current runway conditions. In turn, this assists the Maintenance Department in determining what equipment they will need to clear the airfield surfaces.  

Record-Breaking Snowfalls 

What happens when Casper receives record-breaking snowfalls throughout the winter? While no two snow events are the same, clearing snow is both an art and a science at C/NCIA. Even as little as a 4-inch snowfall can require up to 14 hours of work to remove snow from the whole airfield. The goal for our snow removal crew is to have the primary runway, primary taxiways, and a path to the terminal building cleared within one hour of arriving at the Airport. For larger snowfall accumulations, it could take days to clear the whole airfield; however, the crew focuses on clearing the runways and taxiways required to keep the airport open and running smoothly for our travelers. Even when it stops snowing, snow operations are not done. With Wyoming’s famous winds, watching for drifting snow is as important as monitoring conditions when it’s snowing. 

What Sets C/NCIA Apart in Snow Management 

C/NCIA is one of the few airports that has its own RWIS (Runway Weather Information System) on both runways. RWIS allows our team to not only observe standard weather-related information (think: outside air temperature, dew point, barometric pressure, wind speed, wind direction), it also shows surface and sub-surface temperatures of both runways through embedded sensors in the runway surface, so our team can see conditions (wet, dry, slush, snow) and temperatures. RWIS helps us better prepare for both current and future snow events. For example, rain or snow on pavement at 36 degrees will be treated differently than if the surface temperature is expected to drop to 32 degrees or lower, where moisture could turn into ice. 

Runway Snow Removal 

When it comes to snow removal on a runway, you should rethink everything you know about snow plowing! Plowing a runway is vastly different than what you think when you consider plowing a city street. At C/NCIA, our 150-foot-wide runways are four to five times wider than a standard city street. Luckily, we don’t have to worry about parked cars, and the widths of our 22’ wide plow blades are exponentially wider than city plows. Snow removal at our airport involves pushing snow from one side of the runway to the other. So, what happens to snow as it is pushed along the runway edge? Our team can’t (and won’t) push snow off the edge due to runway lights and signs, which are designed to break away (frangible mount) if an aircraft goes off the side or end of the runway. Therefore, the Airport’s snow blowers move along the edge of the runway blowing the snow up, over, and away from the lights and signs to keep the runway clear and safe and to keep snow drifts from accumulating in the runway safety areas. These blowers are capable of blowing 7,500 tons of snow per hour and can cast snow a couple hundred feet. 

Are runways de-iced? 

Since aircraft are aluminum, salt cannot be used on runways, taxiways, or where aircraft park since salt is corrosive to aluminum. Although sand could be used to increase friction, sand can get ingested into an aircraft engine and/or create pits in a propeller. As a solution, the Airport uses a chemical called potassium acetate (liquid or pellet) for de-icing. Potassium acetate is expensive, however, so it is something we don’t want to apply to the runway when we don’t need to. Our team does an excellent job assessing conditions and making decisions for when to apply chemicals to the airfield.

A Team Effort 

Teamwork is imperative to ensure snow is removed safely and timely. The C/NCIA Operations Department determines the “what” of snow removal, while the Maintenance Department handles the “how.”  Due to the need for specialized training in friction measurement and deicing chemicals, our snow removal crews are highly skilled (and greatly appreciated!). For longer-lasting snow operations, they may need to stay on-site for extended periods of time, which is why our maintenance facility is equipped with a commercial kitchen, beds, and backup power to ensure they can keep working even during power outages caused by storms. 

Winter in Wyoming is as unpredictable as the wind and we must stay prepared, alert, and equipped to keep the Casper/Natrona County International Airport a well-oiled machine. Our snow removal team is highly trained and always prepared in the winter to hit the ground running after a snowfall. The C/NCIA operations and maintenance crew can’t control the weather or the airlines, but they can manage snow and ice on the runway to keep flights on schedule.  

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