Abundant precipitation in the form of snow for an extended period of time, accompanied by winds whose speed exceeds 12 m / s, are classified as a hydrometeorological disaster. In such conditions, snow drifts will inevitably form.
Heavy snowfall
Snow drifts, or snowdrifts, are bizarre snow objects formed by wind. Snow mounds resemble sand dunes and are formed according to the same principle. Wind gusts move snow mass, which accumulates in the place where the air flow slows down. Snowdrifts usually take on bizarre forms of ridges and slopes.
Rules of conduct during a snowstorm
If you live in a country with a harsh climate where you won’t surprise anyone during a snowstorm during the winter, you know the rules of conduct during a blizzard, including on the road, if heavy snowfall, including accompanied by wind, is overtaken on the way.
Rescuers do not recommend leaving the house during a snowstorm, especially if there is a tendency to its strengthening. Only in case of emergency go on a journey. Notify your family or neighbors about your route. It is advisable not even to go on short trips alone.
Moving by car during a blizzard is permissible only on large roads and highways. But even there you can be trapped. Snow drift on the track can be very unpleasant and difficult to overcome obstacles.
If a stop is required along the way, do not go far from the machine, it should always be within sight. During a blizzard, it is very easy to lose orientation due to reduced visibility.
If you are forced to stop on the road with a signal, sound an alarm sign - intermittent beeps are understandable to any road user. Wait for help inside the car. Snow drifts, snowstorms are very insidious. Often people overestimate their strength, trying on their own on foot to get out of the drift. You can go on a trip only if the direction of movement is known exactly or a landmark is visible - the light of the village. And you can stay in the car with the engine running, opening a little window to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
Forest belt as protection of roads from snow drifts
To make roads in heavy snow safer for motorists, it is very important to take the necessary measures to prevent the formation of snow drifts. An effective means of protecting roads from snow drifts is green spaces along the roads. Trees and shrubs reduce the speed of wind gusts, as a result of which a snowdrift is formed near the plantations on the leeward side , the edges of which are gentle. In the immediate vicinity of the roadway, as a rule, the thickness of the snow cover is minimal. Planting trees is more effective than shrubs, as they are more likely to dampen wind speed.
Stationary barriers
Often, instead of green spaces, special stationary snow barriers are used. Such designs can be made of different materials, wood is often used. Fixed barriers are a rather expensive construction. But it justifies itself, since significant funds can be saved through a one-time installation, there is no need to spend money on annual transportation to the place of installation of barriers and dismantling. These structures are installed in areas where in winter protection from snowdrifts is needed, and at other times of the year - from sandstorms. The design feature is that it not only dampens the wind speed, but also changes its direction, thereby "leading" the snow from the roadway. For this, a smooth rounding is provided at the top of the barrier web.
Temporary Barrier Structures
In places where there are no forest plantations along the roads and it is impractical to install stationary barrier structures, temporary fences are installed with the onset of the snowfall season. Their task is not only to prevent the formation of snow drifts on the roads, but also to keep as much snow as possible in the fields, which subsequently will favorably affect the harvest.
Barrier structures are lattice wooden panels installed at an angle to special supports. Modular barriers are the only way out, if necessary, to protect roads from snow slopes among the slopes. In such cases, individual modules are placed on a slope in several rows.
With the development of technology, high-strength polymer nets are increasingly being used instead of wooden boards. They have several advantages compared to wooden structures:
- more resistant to aggressive environmental influences;
- more convenient to store - nets are stored in rolls;
- easy assembly and disassembly, as the mesh is attached to the installed supports with one long cloth.
Snow drifts on the roads cause a lot of inconvenience to motorists and adversely affect traffic. Their impact on transportation may be more significant than snowfall itself.
Snow drift control basics
Snow obstacles adversely affect traffic. Knowledge of the principles of the formation of snowdrifts allows you to manage this process, or at least adjust it. However, their formation cannot be avoided if the snowfall is accompanied by gusts of wind. Somewhere mass will accumulate.
Control the formation of snow drifts:
- determine the direction of the wind;
- Install a fence to stop airflow or slow them down in a place where the appearance of a snowdrift is considered acceptable.
There is another way to eliminate snow drifts - using a shovel. But this method is very laborious and ineffective. It is worth counting on it only as a last resort, when time for preventive measures is missed.