Welcome to SUMNER SERVICES

Since 2000, we have been providing snow/ice management for East Central Iowa. We specialize in anti-icing and de-icing application and the delivery of liquid ice melt across North America.

Anti-icing is the most cost-effective and environmentally safe practice in winter maintenance. You should be heading in this direction. Liquid ice-fighting materials penetrate the pores of road surfaces and therefore are not disturbed by vehicle traffic. As a result, less material is needed to melt ice, thus reducing the costs of a contractor’s operations.

Applying ice-melting chemicals before a storm hits, called anti-icing, is more effective at melting ice than applying an ice-melting material after a storm hits and a layer of ice has already formed. As a result, less material can be used, which will save the contractor money and time.

Further, because the materials bonds to the road surface, liquid ice-melting chemicals have a residual life within the pavement. In other words, if you apply a liquid ice-melting material before an anticipated storm and the storm never hits, the liquid will stay on the pavement ready to melt ice in the next storm. Be aware, however, that water will wash the liquid from the pavement, so if it rains, you’ll lose the material you applied.

The Key Is Cost, Not Price. The initial purchase price of liquid ice-fighting chemicals tends to be more than bulk rock salt. However, when contractors look at the big picture of ice operations, such as total vehicle drive time and related expenses, storage requirements and level of service, they often find liquid ice melt to be more cost effective.

Anti-icing Saves Plowing Time. Because anti-icing involves applying liquids or granular salt before a snow event, the chemicals prevent a bond from forming between the pavement and snow. As a result, snow can be plowed easier and more quickly. Plow time could be reduced by as much as five times.

Synopsis: El Niño conditions will continue to develop and are expected to last through the Northern Hemisphere Winter 2009-2010.

Crystal ball predictions can be tricky, especially when dealing with the weather. However they can examine historic trends and some hard science to get a read on what Winter 2009-10 may have in store for the snow removal industry. For example, for the last two winters, the climate across the U.S. was being controlled by a weak La Niña in the Pacific Ocean, which will typically give us more snow in the Northwest and the Great lakes region and on up into the Canadian/U.S. border in the Northeast. And this panned out over the last two winters with less snow in the southern snow states. This weak La Niña really controlled the last two winters.

The Pacific Ocean is phasing out of its 32-year warm cycle and into a cold cycle last seen in the 1960’s. This Pacific cold cycle should bring more substantial snowfall to the U.S. In addition, the Atlantic Ocean is starting to enter its cold phase over the next five years, which will impact winter conditions. Even the frequency in the number of sun spots (with fewer sun spots producing less solar radiation) will impact winter conditions.

We’re already seeing signs of this in the past two winters. With these three factors you’re going to have some serious cooling.

The greatest potential for more snow next winter will shift to the Central and Northern Plains as the max areas – Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas on through Minnesota. The northern plains might be one initial bull’s-eye area.

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