News Release

ST. PAUL, Minn.—The powerful winds raking western Minnesota today will limit motorists’ visibility, but in some areas highways will receive a measure of protection from wind-blown snow from rows of cornstalks and other vegetation planted along the roadsides.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation’s living snow fence program uses rows of standing cornstalks deep and plantings of shrubs and trees that slow the force of the wind, causing it to tumble and drop the snow before it can drift on roadways or hamper drivers’ ability to see.

Mn/DOT contracts with 45 landowners this winter to leave cornstalks standing or to plant snow fences along state highways. The program now provides protection from drifting and blowing snow on 20 miles of state roads.

During last week’s heavy snows, the rows of corn and other vegetation prevented wet, heavy snow from drifting onto roads in several locations, said Dan Gullickson, coordinator of MN/DOT’s living snow fence program.

Snow fences locations include:

• Hwy 71 north of Windom is well-protected against blowing and drifting snow because of standing corn rows.
• The Hwy 71 Marvin Madsen Memorial living snow fence north of Morton uses both standing cornrows and plantings of native tall prairie grasses, shrubs and evergreens to protect the highway.
• The Vern Prokosch living snow fence on Hwy 212 west of Bird Island uses standing cornrows, native grasses, shrubs and evergreens to protect the roadway.
• A standing cornrow snow fence 2,500 feet long and 2.3 acres in size buffers Hwy 212 east of Glencoe.

Keeping drifts off the roads, Gullickson said, increases safety for motorists and reduces the amount of time and equipment use MN/DOT highway maintenance crews need to keep roads open.

By reducing drifting, he said, a $17 to $1 benefit cost ratio can be realized in reducing accidents, cutting labor, equipment and material costs spent removing wind-blown snow off the highway and limiting travel delays for the commercial truckers and traveling motorists.

"By partnering with Minnesota farmers, planting living snow fences provides a low-cost, effective method for MN/DOT to promote safety and maintain mobility, " Gullickson said.

#####