Monthly Archives: March 2020

April Showers… And SNOW This Week! See Where!

While we’ve seen lots of spring-like weather lately, it looks like winter isn’t over quite yet. This week kicks off with lots of additional rain in the Southeast (even up to 6 inches!) and storms. Then later in the week a decent sized snow event bursts out of the Rockies and moves across the country turning to rain eventually as it hits well above average temps.

3/31/20 Weather Forecast from Neoweather

This week starts off with loads of rain in the Ohio, Tennessee and Dixie Valleys. They don’t need it, but they are getting even more rain in these areas. Most areas are getting 1-4 inches Monday-Wednesday. Batten down the hatches because some spots have seen a month or even two months of precipitation just in the last week! Most of the precipitation is expected in the middle of the country this week. It dries out a bit as it moves east.

The snowmaker pops up Thursday and Friday in the Western Plains starting in the higher elevations, but then it sticks around and moves east. Snow is expected in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, the Dakotas, Minnesota, and parts of Iowa and Wisconsin. The system diffuses as it moves east after that and warm air from the South also comes up to make it a rain-only system from that point forward. Meanwhile, more snow pops up in the Pacific Northwest, again in higher elevations through the weekend and into next week.

4/2/20 Weather Map from Neoweather
4/2/20 Weather Map from Neoweather

Looking for the best weather information to help you do your job? Stop using generic apps and start making better decisions with a customized forecast created just for YOUR service area. Contact Neoweather for details and pricing!

Discounted Winter Equipment Modular Skid Shoe Assemblies

Check this out!! Winter Equipment is offering 30% off list price for one Modular Skid Shoe Assembly and 60% off for the second unit on the same purchase order! This huge sale is on  MōDUS™ skid shoe assemblies for OEM pusher box plows. The new skid shoe assembly system extends life, increases effectiveness and reduces in-season downtime.

MōDUS™ Skid Shoes from Winter Equipment
MōDUS™ Skid Shoes from Winter Equipment

The MōDUS skid shoe system is Carbide Matrix™ based and can be adjusted, rotated or reversed independently because of their modular nature. This increases efficiency and reduces downtime dramatically, and still provides outstanding performance on rough surfaces.

Skid Shoes from Winter Equipment shown on a push plows

Extend the life of your cutting edges!

“We developed our MōDUS modular system to incorporate our superior wear technology in a way that made more sense, lasts longer and reduces downtime, while extending the life of the cutting edge. We think every pusher box plow would benefit from our MōDUS modular system, and with our midseason promotion, there’s no reason why everyone can’t have one!”

Kent Winter, founder and CEO of Winter Equipment

Winter developed their skid shoes to help customers that were giving feedback that their OEM shoes were wearing unevenly and breaking down midseason. The MōDUS systems are currently available for Arctic® LD and HD systems, as well as ProTech® Series 1 and 2 pusher boxes, and Winter Equipment has plans for additional lines as demand increases.

Review of Winter Equipment Skid Shoes

All styles of the MōDUS assembly systems include 5/8″ steel adapter plates. The skid shoes are reinforced with Winter Equipments’s proprietary Carbide Matrix™ weld. All installation hardware is included for your convenience too! Reach out to Winter Equipment today for more details!

Who is Getting Rain & Snow This Week? Check it out!

There are loads of precipitation again this week in the form of rain and even some snow. Some flooding is expected in areas where the ground is already saturated from too much rain. Brian Ivey from Neoweather has all the details for your 3/24/20 weekly contractor forecast below.

3/24/20 Weekly Weather Forecast from Neoweather

This week kicks off with more rain in the south. Areas across the Tennessee Valley could see some severe weather and storms. As it moves northeast, portions of Pittsburgh, Washington D.C. and New York will be hit. This is the area to watch this week for potentially dangerous storms.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday there will be widespread scattered snow across the Pacific Northwest. Most of the snow will be in the Rockies, but we could see snow stretch as far as the Dakotas, Minnesota, Northern Wisconsin, and the U.P. thanks to some colder air in those areas as the system moves east. The active pattern continues with another bout of precipitation building up right after that one in the middle of the country that will move east through Iowa.

3/28/20 Weather Map from Neoweather
3/28/20 Weather Map from Neoweather

Denver is likely to see more snow on Friday. However, that system quickly turns into rain and becomes quite widespread producing a good amount of rain by Saturday across the Midwest that gains size as it moves east. This system is hitting the same areas once again where there have been significant amounts of rain over the last few weeks. This may result in flooding across much of those areas. Keep an eye out for a snow threat on the back end of that system around Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. Next week even more rain is expected to come up from the Gulf and stream across the South.

Looking for ways to make sure you aren’t wasting resources, especially when life and the economy are so uncertain these days? Invest in a customized weather forecasting system like Neoweather to be sure you aren’t sending out crews too early, too late or with the wrong equipment and materials.

Ram Gets in on the Snow Plow Prep Package Craze!

Ram Truck showed off its new Snow Plow Prep Package at the National Truck Equipment Association’s “Work Truck Show®” in Indianapolis recently. The Snow Plow Prep Package will be available later this year for the 2021 Ram 1500 Tradesman, Big Horn and Laramie 4×4 models with the 5.7-liter HEMI® V-8, 5.7-liter HEMI eTorque V-8, or the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 engine setup.

Ram Truck's Snow Plow Prep Package

This Snow Plow Prep Package price is tough to beat at just $195. With it, you get an upgraded 220-amp alternator, truck-side plow wiring harness and a power-sliding rear window with defroster. Ram removes the active air dam when this option is selected to make way for plow mounts.

The Ram 1500 truck is known for its durability, efficiency, convenience, and technology with features never offered before in a pickup truck. It features a towing capacity of 12,750 pounds and 2,300 pounds of payload. Drivers get incredible fuel efficiency in both the V-6 and V-8 models thanks to the eTorque mild hybrid system. Ram says this truck is America’s most powerful half-ton diesel pickup with 480 lb.-ft. of torque and most capable light-duty diesel. Now you can add a low-cost Snow Plow Prep Package to its list of features as well! 

“As part of Ram’s commitment to continuous improvement within the segment, we now offer a Snow Plow Prep package for Ram 1500 customers. Ram has taken a larger presence in the commercial vehicle market and this offering is the latest expansion of our hardworking trucks.”

Reid Bigland, Head of Ram Brand

Ram Truck sales have grown over the years and continue to attract new customers. By investing in new products and technology along with durable powertrains and a robust chassis, Ram has become an industry leader in commercial trucks. The Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups; 3500, 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs; and Ram ProMaster and ProMaster City vans are designed to deliver a total package with a low total cost of ownership.

Different trucks in Ram’s lineup outperform the competition and set benchmarks for things like:

  • Towing capacity – 35,100 lbs.
  • Payload – 7,680 lbs.
  • Segment first 1,000 lb.-ft of torque with Cummins Turbo Diesel
  • Best ride – exclusive link coil rear and auto-level air suspensions
  • Luxury: Limited models have real wood, real leather, and 12-inch Uconnect touchscreen
  • Most interior space
  • Most capable full-size off-road pickup
  • Most-awarded light-duty truck in America
  • Highest owner loyalty of any half-ton pickup
  • Highest percentage of pickups still on the road over the last 30 years

If you’re in the market for a new snow plow truck this year, check out Ram’s Snow Plow Prep Package (the plow, mounts and controller are all sold separately).

Watch for a Wet Week + Some Snow!

The wet pattern continues this week with lots of rain in most of the country as several systems move through. Then late in the week the Pacific Northwest kicks up a storm that is likely to cause widespread snow across the northern states.

3/10/20 Weekly Weather Forecast from Neoweather

Tuesday kicks off with a rainy system in the East that won’t stick around long and some potential wet snow might hit Wisconsin and the Great Lakes on Wednesday while scattered showers cover the Southeast. Then the Rockies will see some widespread pockets of snow that don’t do much but then more rain develops in the Tennesee Valley up into the Ohio Valley on Thursday. No one needs more rain in those areas, but get ready because it’s coming!

Friday the 13th lives up to its name by wreaking a little havoc with a Gulf Coast system that we haven’t seen in a while. It will bring a band of almost solid rain from Los Angeles all the way east to Alabama. That system will move north and might even bring some snow to Albuquerque, the Texas Panhandle, and up into Denver. Meanwhile, more snow rustles up in the Northwest.

3/13/20 Weather Map
3/13/20 Weather Map

Cold air and moisture are expected to cause that Northwest system to become pretty widespread snow by Sunday. It will start off by covering Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, the Dakotas with snow, then as it moves east that snow will stay further north but cause lots of rain over the eastern half of the country early next week.

Temperatures are expected to continue to stay warmer than average overall, with just a few shots of slightly colder than average temps a couple of days coming down from Canada. But moderate weather and a warmer than usual March is expected to continue.

Need help pinpointing weather for your specific service area? Neoweather provides custom forecasts to help you prepare and save money by deploying the right people at the right times for maximum efficiency. Contact Neoweather today for a quote.

Ford Rolls Out “Snow Prep Package” on 2020 F-Series Super Duty

Doesn’t it just make you drool? The new 2020 Ford F-Series Super Duty truck has an optional Snow Plow Prep Package that delivers best-in-class gas with a 1,400-pound maximum snow plow rating (which includes mounting hardware).

2020 Ford Super Duty with Optional Snow Plow Prep Package
2020 Ford Super Duty with Optional Snow Plow Prep Package

And that’s not all… this bad boy also has awesome features to conquer bad weather like optional windshield wiper deicer, heated steering wheel and heated front and rear seats! The new Snow Plow Prep Package, available for 4×4 pickups, includes heavy-duty springs specific to each configuration and an up-rated alternator to deal with heavy electrical loads.

“Super Duty is a real workhorse in the snow removal industry, with our new Snow Plow Prep Package, we’re really delivering for folks who clear the way after a big storm. Being able to safely hook up bigger plows means roads, driveways and parking lots are cleared quickly and drivers can move on to the next job.”

Mike Pruitt, Ford F-Series Super Duty chief engineer

The F-Series has always been a leader in the snow and ice management industry with nearly 50 percent market share according to a 2019 SIMA survey. The F-Series has always been a reliable choice that’s easy to service with a well rated plow weight.

Along with past reliable features, the new 2020 F-Series will have contractors salivating with new features like a heated windshield that keeps the wipers ice free, as well as a heated steering wheel option and heated front and rear seats. There is also optional white or amber LED strobe lights on XL, XLT or Lariat series trucks that will take a step out of the upfitting process. Deep Snow/Sand drive mode is available on models equipped with the all-new 10-speed heavy-duty TorqShift® automatic transmission. This gives you a special drive mode that changes throttle mapping and traction control for added control on the snow and ice.

A Wet Week is Expected – How About Snow? Yep!

March kicks off this week on the mild side with plenty or precipitation in parts of the country, but not enough cold air around it to create any snow. That might change later in the week in the Rockies and Northeast. Check it out in Neoweather’s forecast below!

3/3/20 Weather Forecast from Neoweather

We’ve had a wet pattern over the last 30 days or so, especially in the South and Ohio Valley and that’s not expected to change anytime soon. While it stays dry in California, more showers are expected today and tomorrow in the NE and Texas across the southern U.S. An injection of cold weather in the Great Lakes later this week (Thursday or so) could turn some of the expected precipitation into a bit of snow, so that’s something to keep an eye on. The middle of the country will stay quiet.

Leaves are already starting to show up in the south about 2-3 weeks early! Leaves are breaking out in trees up into portions of the Mid-Atlantic, Tennessee and even up into the Southern Ohio Valley area.

Thursday and Friday have to potential to produce some snow on the East Coast if the temps stay low enough as the precipitation moves through. A rain-snow mix is expected for the coastal cities.

3/6/20 Weather Map showing snow potential in the East
3/6/20 Weather Map showing snow potential in the East

Meanwhile, the Rockies are expected to get a new snow system that will gain some traction on Sunday as it stretches from Denver up into Southern Canada. It won’t be widespread as it moves east, but it is expected to drop some snow in the most northern areas of the country. The warmer air below that system will bring a wide band of rain all the way from Houston up to Detroit on Monday of next week.

Map of Warm Weather from NeoweatherThe bottom line is warm, warm, warm. The next two weeks are expected to be above average temperatures across almost the entire country. There will be a couple of short cooldowns, but not many chances for snow before the temps go back up again to warmer than average.

Neoweather provides detailed, accurate weather information for your specific location with your operations in mind. Contact them today for details and pricing!