"It's been difficult:" The challenges of salting and plowing in frigid temps



BROWN DEER (WITI) -- Even with what we're calling a warm-up this weekend, it'll still be cold enough for the snow to stay. Whether this causes chagrin, or celebration, is a matter of perspective.

While there are those who've already grown a tad tired of sifting through the snow, there are also pockets of people who are pleased with the precipitation because it's padding their pocketbooks.

Along with this week's winter weather came catering concerns for those delivering Dickey's Barbecue.

"We just wish people would obviously plow out their areas," said James Rosenberger, works at Dickey's Barbecue Pit.

If they haven't they're putting the trucks and team to the test.

"When you fall, you're gonna drop the food, and then I'm gonna disappoint the guests and then we gotta come back and remake it -- and that's not something we want to do," said Rosenberger.

And thanks to businesses such as West Allis' Winter Services commercial snow removal, they typically don't need to navigate the nuisance.

"We're a need based business and when it snows people need us, and, you know, this is what we're waiting for all year," said Fritz Frazier.

Frazier says Winter Services focuses on snow removal and ice control.

"We were all ready to get back to work, you know, after the New Year's, but we didn't know we were gonna work this much," said Frazier.

For the past week, Frazier says the company's 500 employees have been earning every cent working in shifts to continue clearing.

"We went yesterday pretty much from noon till about 9 p.m., and then we got a little break -- and we came back out after midnight and then we just finished up," said Frazier.

For now, blowing snow could have some back behind the wheels  this weekend -- albeit under more satisfying circumstances.

"The biggest challenges have been the temperatures, there's no question about that. The equipment, it's been difficult getting equipment to get started. It's really hard on the employees," said Frazier.

But what's hard on them puts others at ease.

"It makes our job that much easier when we get to the commercial places who have it plowed for us and we can't say enough 'thank you' to them," said Rosenberger.

When Frazier talks about the week's work being hard on employees, he mentions the lack of sleep and the potential for dehydration.

The company keeps a table of bottled water ready for drivers to take along for the ride.