PODCAST · science
Talkin Winter Ops
by Rick Nelson
Listen in on conversations with experts in the field of road weather and winter road maintenance as they explain how their work helps make roads safer and passable during winter storm events.
Episodes
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Episode 159: Maintenance people are special
The AASHTO Committee on Maintenance meets annually to discuss highway maintenance, emerging trends, new technologies, and compare notes. In 2026 this meeting took place in Westminster, Colorado and we mic'ed up Chair George Conner of the Alabama DOT to capture his thoughts and vision for highway...
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Episode 158: AI in Winter Operations: Hype or Help?
Artificial Intelligence tools are seemingly everywhere and folks throughout transportation agencies are trying to get their heads, and hands, around this run away train. APWA Technical Director for Engineering and Technology and City of Pella, Iowa Public Works Director Dr, Wilf Nixon helps give...
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Episode 157: AMS Road Weather and Technology - 2026 National Briefing
This National Briefing segment is presented by Dr. Brittany Welsh of the National Center For Atmospheric Research and Chair of the AMS Road Weather and Technology Committee. Check out their work products and get more information about the AMS Road Weather and Technology Committee at their website...
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Episode 156: TRB WINTER MAINTENANCE - 2026 National Briefing
This National Briefing segment is presented by Anna Arvidsson Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute and features the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Standing Technical Committee on Winter Maintenance and Response to Weather Events (AKJ17) If you want to submit your name to...
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Episode 155: WINTER SERVICE TC - 2026 National Briefing
This National Briefing segment is presented by Peter Nutz, City of Vienna Austria and features the World Road Association’s Winter Service Technical Committee. Check out their work products and get more information about PIARC’s Winter Service Technical Committee at their website...
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Episode 154: MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS TWG - 2026 National Briefing
This National Briefing segment is presented by Jed Falgren Minnesota DOT and features the Maintenance Operations Technical Working Group of AASHTOs Maintenance Committee. One of the 5 Technical Working Groups of this Committee, Maintenance Operations focuses on activities like winter maintenance,...
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Episode 153: MAINTENANCE DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM - 2026 National Briefing
This National Briefing segment is presented by Dave Huft South Dakota DOT and Ben Hersey DTN and features the Maintenance Decision Support System Pool Fund Study. This organization is advancing winter maintenance decision support through advanced forecasting and understanding of the winter…
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Episode 152: CLEAR ROADS - 2026 National Briefing
This National Briefing segment is presented by Danny Varilek South Dakota DOT and features the Clear Roads Pool Fund Study. Clear Roads’ work focus is on all things winter maintenance and includes management of the Qualified Product List (QPL) for roadway deicers. Check out their work and get…
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Episode 151: AURORA - 2026 National Briefing
This National Briefing segment is presented by James Roath Michigan DOT and features the Aurora Pool Fund Study. Aurora's work focus is on road weather, instrumentation, and forecasting among other related activities. Check out their work and get more information about Aurora at their website...
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Episode 150: APWA - 2026 National Briefing
This National Briefing segment is presented by Matt Morreim City of Shorewood, Minnesota and features the American Public Works Association (APWA) Winter Maintenance Subcommittee. The Winter Maintenance Subcommittee’s mission is to promote the development and use of the safest, most…
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Episode 149: AASHTO WINTER WEATHER MANAGEMENT TSP - 2026 National Briefing
This National Briefing segment is presented by Jed Falgren Minnesota DOT and features AASHTO’s Winter Weather Management Technical Service Program. The Winter Weather Management’s work focus is on on the identification, promotion, and collaboration efforts necessary to implement and advance state...
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Episode 148: INTRODUCTION to the 2026 National Briefing
Welcome to the 2026 National Winter Maintenance and Road Weather Briefing series! Each year, this special event brings together organizations from across the winter maintenance, road weather, and highway operations community to share their latest initiatives, innovations, and accomplishments.…
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Episode 147: The Georgia DOT Snow School
No matter where you live or where you operate, people have come to expect that they can get where they need to go, whenever they need to go. And while snow and ice may be more common up north, winter weather isn't just a northern problem. States in the South don't deal with winter storms nearly…
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Episode 146: First storm of the season
Every agency has gone through it. Perfect planning for winter, perfect preparation for that first storm, then mother nature sends a curve ball, all the planets line up and all the little things add up to a big thing. That’s what happened December 1st, 2025 to the Missouri DOT in the St. Louis…
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Episode 145: The winter app that isn't an app
On this episode were going to showcase the work of a couple of innovative maintenance professionals long time friend and listener, Phillip Anderle turned me on to at the last APWA Western Snow and Ice Conference. These two guys created a winter app for smart phones and tablets that makes…
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Episode 144: Communicate, Coordinate, Cooperate - the I-80 Corridor Coalition
Born out of a desire to improve winter operations across state lines the Interstate 80 Corridor Coalition has grown into the second longest corridor coalition extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Likewise, the operational focus has also grown beyond winter operations to leverage…
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Episode 143: Winter readiness, get your house in order
While it's important to have stockpiles full, equipment repaired and ready, and staff training and assignments set, it's important to have your home weather ready as well. After all, when you're out there battling the weather, there's peace of mind knowing that your own home and family are safe…
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Bonus Episode 142: Pacific Northwest Snowfighters 2026
The Pacific Northwest Snowfighters Association will be holding their biannual conference for winter maintenance professionals and practitioners May 2026 in Spokane, Washington. This best in the west winter operations conference is a perfect time for exchanging ideas with your peers, finding out…
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Episode 141: Maintenance-If you think it's not important, just stop doing it
From that moment the very first engineering project was completed the age of maintenance began. While the initial delivery of the public work carries a lot of fanfare nothing is more important than keeping it functional and in service. Maintenance organizations have been intrusted to manage every...
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Episode 140: Salt is about the speed
In this episode we’re revisiting an earlier episode of Talkin Winter Ops that you may have missed. In this episode we visit with Dr. Scott Koefod, inorganic chemist, about just how salt works when used as part of a winter maintenance strategy. Sign up for email notifications on future episodes…
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Episode 139: Don't give your spouse the leftovers
Winter maintenance is more than work plans, budgets, disasters and recovery. Your family plays a huge role in your public works career and public service often demands family sacrifice during times of crisis. Lots of times the two worlds of work and family overlap and sometimes collide. Mike…
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Episode 138: Designed for snowplows
Developing an infrastructure project is series of compromises and tradeoffs and so often maintenance and operations considerations end up on the cutting room floor. Unfortunately, those decisions have implications that agencies have to live with for a long time. In the case of the GARS…
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Episode 137: Innovation, the little ones are the big ones
A hundred and fifty years ago road departments leaned on the farmers next to the road to help maintain it and often times paid them to do so. As time marched on and road departments became DOTs with dedicated maintenance workers and tools and technology advanced there is still a lot of innovation...
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Episode 136: Keep snow off the road with Snow Fence, Minnesota style
The easiest snow flake to remove from the roadway is the one that never lands on it. Seems obvious but how to make that happen? On this episode we’re Talkin Winter Ops with Dan Gullickson, Minnesota DOT supervisor of their Blowing Snow Program. Ever since the 1880’s when the railroads first…
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Episode 135: 2025 National Briefing - No Boundaries
This briefing features the No Boundaries Pool Fund Study. The No Boundaries pooled fund project is a community of practice of state DOT maintenance and operations professionals who share innovative maintenance technologies and practices to promote adaptation, implementation and broader use. Check...
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Episode 134: 2025 National Briefing - Professional Snowfighters Association
This briefing features the Professional Snowfighters Association a North American based non-profit professional association dedicated to creating a community of practice, based upon adherence to sound science as it seeks to improve knowledge and practices in the pursuit of safe and sustainable...
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Episode 133: 2025 National Briefing - AMS
This briefing features the work of the American Meteorological Societies Committee on Road Weather and Technology. Focusing on advances weather science and technologies to fashion solutions to advance mobility during winter events the committee has many projects relevant to the highway community....
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Episode 132: 2025 PIARC Winter Service Technical Committee
This briefing features the international Winter Service Technical Service Committee of the PIARC. This Technical Committee focuses on activities facing all winter maintenance organizations across the globe. Check out the PRESENTATION SLIDE DECK and If you want more information about this…
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Episode 131: 2025 National Briefing - APWA
American Public Works Associations Winter Maintenance Subcommittee is the focus of this briefing. The Winter Maintenance Subcommittee’s mission is to promote the development and use of the safest, most cost-effective, efficient, and environmentally sensitive winter maintenance technologies,...
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Episode 130: 2025 National Briefing - MDSS
This episode of the National Briefing features the Maintenance Decision Support System Pool Fund Study. This organization is advancing winter maintenance decision support through advanced forecasting and understanding of the winter weather system yielding an operational system to aid agencies in...
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Episode 129: 2025 National Briefing - Winter Weather Management TSP
On this episode of the National Briefing features AASHTOs Winter Weather Management Technical Service Program, Formerly SICOP. Winter Weather Management work focuses on the identification, promotion, and collaboration efforts necessary to advance state of the practice winter maintenance and road...
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Episode 128: 2025 National Briefing - Clear Roads
On this episode of the National Briefing we feature the Clear Roads Pool Fund Study. Clear Roads focus is on all things winter maintenance from driver safety to liquid chemicals. Check out the PRESENTATION SLIDE DECK and If you want more information about this Technical Working Group you can…
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Episode 127: 2025 National Briefing - Aurora
On this episode of the National Briefing we feature the Aurora Pool Fund Study. Aurora's work focus is on road weather, instrumentation, and forecasting among other related activities. Check out the PRESENTATION SLIDE DECK and If you want more information about their work you can check out the...
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Episode 126: 2025 National Briefing - TRB Update
In just the past few weeks there have been big changes at TRB that include the Winter Maintenance and the Road Weather Committees. On this episode of the National Briefing Paul Pisano, former chair of the Road Weather Committee is here to share the changes and what you can do to stay engaged with...
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Episode 125: 2025 National Briefing - Maintenance Operations TWG
On this episode of the National Briefing we feature the Maintenance Operations Technical Working Group of AASHTOs Maintenance Committee. One of the 5 Technical Working Groups of this Committee, Maintenance Operations focuses on activities like winter maintenance, work zones, and safety. Check out...
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Episode 124: 2025 National Briefing - Introduction
The National Winter Maintenance and Road Weather Briefing is an annual event where organizations working in this space can highlight their activities and advancements in winter maintenance and road weather. This year 11 organizations will be sharing their accomplishments in this series and how…
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Episode 123: APWA Certification Program
We’ve been on a training theme for the last couple of episodes which, I think, is super relevant considering the average level of experience in the winter maintenance profession right now. As maintenance managers, where do you go to get relevant, state of the practice, training for you’re winter...
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Episode 122: The Maintenance Leadership Academy
When it comes to preparing your folks for leadership roles in highway maintenance the National Highway Institute Maintenance Leadership Academy is the gold standard. This comprehensive program and the experiences of the instructors provide a wealth of knowledge into all the aspects of highway...
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Episode 121: Are you a Green SnowPro?
When New Hampshire began developing the I-93 widening project there was concern about the amount of salt that might be introduced into the environment due to winter operations and this became to impetus for the creation of the Green SnowPro Program through the Department of Environmental…
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Episode 120: Machine learning pavement conditions
AI and Machine Learning will probably be the next disruptive technology that will spawn a quantum leap in the way we approach the provision of winter service. On this episode we’re heading to the University at Albany in New York to visit with Nick Bassill, director of the New York State Weather...
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Episode 119 Plugin hybrid snowplows are on the way
We've been talking about electrification of the maintenance fleet for some time now and the conversation always turns to the challenges facing the rollout of this technology particularly when it comes to winter maintenance. Diminished load carrying capacity due to the weight of the batteries,...
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Episode 118: You Can't Do Good Winter Maintenance Without Road Weather Information Systems
Road Weather Information Systems unlocked a whole host of opportunities when it comes to performing winter maintenance. Paul Bridge is an important player when it comes to RWIS from his early days at the Met UK through stints with RWIS vendors. His understanding of the technology and how it is…
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Episode 117: Show your skill at the National Snow Roadeo
APWA’s Western Snow and Ice Conference and Snow Roadeo is one of the premier events in the world of winter maintenance and it happens every year in Loveland, Colorado. In addition to the indoor activities and huge equipment and vendor display, hundreds of operators put their mastery of equipment...
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Episode 116: 2024 National Briefing on Winter Maintenance and Road Weather - Professional Snowfighters Association
The 2024 National Briefing on Winter Maintenance and Road Weather gives organizations working in this space an opportunity to showcase their efforts to advance the state of the practice through collaboration, research, technical support, and implementation. This episode features the Professional...
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Episode 115: 2024 National Briefing on Winter Maintenance and Road Weather - AMS
The 2024 National Briefing on Winter Maintenance and Road Weather gives organizations working in this space an opportunity to showcase their efforts to advance the state of the practice through collaboration, research, technical support, and implementation. This episode features the American...
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Episode 114: 2024 National Briefing on Winter Maintenance and Road Weather - APWA
The 2024 National Briefing on Winter Maintenance and Road Weather gives organizations working in this space an opportunity to showcase their efforts to advance the state of the practice through collaboration, research, technical support, and implementation. This episode features the APWA Snow &…
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Episode 113: 2024 National Briefing on Winter Maintenance and Road Weather - FHWA
The 2024 National Briefing on Winter Maintenance and Road Weather gives organizations working in this space an opportunity to showcase their efforts to advance the state of the practice through collaboration, research, technical support, and implementation. This episode features the FHWA Road...
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Episode 112: 2024 National Briefing on Winter Maintenance and Road Weather - PIARC Winter Service
The 2024 National Briefing on Winter Maintenance and Road Weather gives organizations working in this space an opportunity to showcase their efforts to advance the state of the practice through collaboration, research, technical support, and implementation. This episode features the World Road...
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Episode 111: 2024 National Briefing on Winter Maintenance and Road Weather - TRB Road Weather
The 2024 National Briefing on Winter Maintenance and Road Weather gives organizations working in this space an opportunity to showcase their efforts to advance the state of the practice through collaboration, research, technical support, and implementation. This episode features the…
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Episode 110: 2024 National Briefing on Winter Maintenance and Road Weather - TRB Winter Maintenance
The 2024 National Briefing on Winter Maintenance and Road Weather gives organizations working in this space an opportunity to showcase their efforts to advance the state of the practice through collaboration, research, technical support, and implementation. This episode features the…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Listen in on conversations with experts in the field of road weather and winter road maintenance as they explain how their work helps make roads safer and passable during winter storm events.
HOSTED BY
Rick Nelson
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Talkin Winter Ops have?
Talkin Winter Ops currently has 159 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Talkin Winter Ops about?
Listen in on conversations with experts in the field of road weather and winter road maintenance as they explain how their work helps make roads safer and passable during winter storm events.
How often does Talkin Winter Ops release new episodes?
Talkin Winter Ops publishes regularly with 159 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Talkin Winter Ops?
You can listen to Talkin Winter Ops on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Talkin Winter Ops?
Talkin Winter Ops is created and hosted by Rick Nelson.
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