Foreman: City street crews logged 1,177 hours in six weeks battling winter weather

After two mild winters, Rhinelander’s street department is back in full winter operations mode, logging nearly 1,200 hours of snow and ice removal work in just six weeks as crews reacted to frequent storms and challenging conditions.
Streets foreman Justin Ernst presented detailed snow removal records to the Common Council on Jan. 12, showing that between Nov. 26 and Jan. 8, street department employees worked 1,177 hours on snow removal operations — a stark contrast to the previous two winters.
“With the frequency this year, we’re out a lot more than last year,” Ernst told the council. “We had two mild winters. Weather plays a big part in what we do.”
City administrator Patrick Reagan requested the discussion to help educate both council members and the public about the extensive work required to keep city streets clear during the winter months.
“I don’t think the public, and I don’t even know if everyone in this room understands fully what the street department, parks department do, and even water utility sometimes to help out,” Reagan said.

Ernst explained that the department maintains 68 to 69 miles of roads in the city, though the actual distance is far greater when accounting for multiple lanes on major thoroughfares. The 11-member crew has been working almost every weekend performing some type of snow removal or treatment.
The records Ernst provided showed significant overtime and holiday work, with crews frequently working through nights and returning after minimal rest during major storms. During the recent heavy snowfall, crews plowed until midnight, then returned at 2 a.m. to repeat the process.
“A lot of people got less than two hours sleep,” Ernst said. “That’s just the way it is.”
Ernst addressed common misconceptions about winter road maintenance, particularly regarding salt application in extreme cold. “Truth be told, salt, sand, whatever you put on the road surfaces when it’s near zero or even under 20 degrees, doesn’t do much,” he explained. “A lot of people misinterpret air temp with road temp. They’re not the same.”
He said once ice builds up on roads, the road temperature remains much lower than air temperature, even when conditions moderate, unless sunlight can help warm the pavement. The department frequently receives calls about slippery intersections shortly after treatment because materials blow off in extremely cold conditions.
Ernst also outlined the department’s snow removal process for downtown. Rather than the old method of having the entire crew work overnight with a 1980s-era snow blower, the department now uses three employees — one operating a grader and two in front-end loaders — to pull snow off curbs and windrow it. Pushers then move the snow to parking lots where it can be removed during safer daytime hours using four tandem dump trucks.
“Staff has better sleep that way,” Ernst said. “If we have breakdowns, we’re not in overtime. We can switch gears and have somebody go do sidewalk ordinance complaints.”
The department is also facing significant equipment challenges. A new plow truck purchased in summer 2024 sits in the shop waiting to be outfitted because builders are backed up two years. Ernst said he’s tried alternative solutions, but purchasing equipment separately and having another company install it costs an additional 7 to 11 percent with no improvement in timeline.
“Current plow truck builds are two years out,” Ernst said, attributing the delays to a shortage of mechanics willing to work in the trade. “They’ll hire people at 40 bucks an hour to start, and they won’t stay.”
The department had four wing trucks operating without belly scrapers during recent storms. Ernst credited a water department employee with fabricating solutions, including installing a wing on a tandem truck this year, but noted the water department also needs that employee for its own work.
Council members praised the street crew’s dedication and urged residents to show more patience and understanding.
“I think the community has been spoiled the last few years with little to no snow, and I think maybe people forgot what it’s like to live in northern Wisconsin when we do have snow,” council president Carrie Mikalauski said. She encouraged residents to give crews “some grace” and avoid driving on roads before they’ve been plowed.
Alderman Steven Jopek emphasized the crew’s credentials and extensive hours. “We have 11 people doing this for the entire city. It’s not going to get done overnight — and in fact, it will get done overnight because you’re working,” he said. “I think you guys do a really great job trying to cover it all with what you have.”
Ernst acknowledged that social media criticism can be hurtful to crews who take their work seriously. “Our feelings do get hurt when the public comes unhinged a little bit, because we are the ones out there doing it,” he said. “I wish they would just stop and take a little reflection.”
He noted that speed complaints are often misleading — a recent caller reported a grader “flying” down the street when Ernst was actually traveling 9.8 miles per hour. “I think prospectively, when you see a machine running nine miles an hour, it looks really fast, but it’s not fast,” he said.
Ernst also highlighted regulatory constraints on salt usage. The DNR monitors salt application because storm systems in the city connect directly to lakes and rivers, unlike county roads where water filters through the ground. Excessive salt use could eventually draw regulatory action.
Similarly, the material swept up after winter — deemed contaminated by the DNR — may eventually require disposal at landfills at additional cost to the city.
Reagan, who said Rhinelander is his fifth community, defended the crew’s performance. “Justin and his guys take this very personally. They’re professionals, and I thought you guys did a great job,” he said.
When asked what the city could do to help, Ernst emphasized public education as the most important need. “If any of you run into somebody, tell them they’ve got a lot of hours, and you have facts to prove it now,” he told council members. “When you kill them with facts, you educate them.”