‘Unusual’ ice layers persist on streets, parking lots in Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs residents are used to seeing snow and ice quickly melt from streets, roads and parking lots when sunshine and warmer temperatures arrive after a winter storm.

But this year, not so much.

A cold, wet fall marked by several significant snowstorms has provided more moisture that stays frozen longer and is slow to melt.

Ice also accumulates in areas of the city where underground springs produce a steady flow of water.

On Monday morning, a city crew was working on a problem area for ice -- the east side of the 8th Street hill, where ice buildup is common during late fall, winter and early spring.

Workers used four pieces of heavy equipment to break up, scoop up and pick up ice nearly a foot thick in some places.

Two graders cracked the sheets of ice, and a front-end loader collected the broken chunks and dropped them into a dump truck.

The crew spent several hours removing ice that also covered several driveways leading to businesses, as well as a right turn lane to Motor City and a bike lane.

Jonathan Javitz said it's the first time in weeks that people have been able to bike or walk on that side of 8th Street, which doesn't have a sidewalk.

"Some people would probably ask why I don't walk on the sidewalk on the other side of the street," he said. "It's because I don't want to cross a busy street just to have to cross it again farther down. This is the most direct route to my job. I'm glad the city is finally getting rid of this ice. This is the worst I've seen it."

Jennings Larson, a local businessman is thankful, as well.

"We've been dealing with this situation for 20 years," he said. "I keep a barrel of sand near the bottom of the driveway so that drivers can have some traction. The city told us they'd do something about it but it hasn't happened yet."

Shorter days and the sun's lower angle in the sky at this time of the year make it difficult for shady areas to receive sunshine that would help melt ice.

"This is really unusual," the owner of a private snow removal business said. "We're not used to seeing ice stick around this long. Normally, it melts quickly. I've had some clients ask me how to get it out of their parking lots. If I don't remove it immediately after the storm, I'll apply some de-icing chemicals to it if customers ask for it. Trying to use equipment to physically remove ice can be hard on the concrete or asphalt underneath. I'd say just put salt on it if you want to do something with it."

KRDO NewsChannel 13 called several snow removal businesses Monday and found only one actually doing ice removal.