Like many area municipalities, the City of Bethlehem is beginning to feel the burden of multiple snowstorms during the current winter. And, within the first 30 days of becoming mayor, Robert Donchez has already declared two snow emergencies in an effort to be proactive when dealing with this winter weather.

Public Works Director Mike Alkhal says that both the emergency declaration and no declaration demand that the same amount of resources be put to work, but that plowing priorities change with a declared snow emergency.

"Remember that the difference is we push curb to curb on snow routes," Alkhal says about snow emergencies being declared.

In addition, Alkhal points out that other factors such as weather predictions, temperature, depth and weight of the snow and equipment breakdowns factor into the city's ability to deal with plowing and snow removal throughout the city. In addition, sometimes equipment must be diverted to other city operations such as water main leaks or sinkholes according to Alkhal.

In general, Alkhal says that predictions of eight inches or more are the trigger for declaring a snow emergency.

"It would create significant access issues until we plowed back further without declaring and/or removing," Alkhal says.

"Temperatures obviously are the key," explains Alkhal. If it's cold and fluffy, Alkhal says snow plows nicely unless already compacted by traffic.

"Near freezing often causes the wet heavy snow," says Alkhal. He notes that temperatures dropping after a wet heavy snow becomes a problem because the snow then freezes and hardens, which is tougher on the equipment.

The frequency of snowstorms this winter has also depleted supplies of salt.

"We are at about a third of where we try to maintain in salt on hand, so we are short and a bit nervous about that" says Alkhal. He said that salt deliveries are on back order and that the city is regularly checking on the status of those deliveries.

Winters like the current one with frequent snowstorms and icing also challenge city budgets. Alkhal explains that both overtime and supply accounts are about $150,000 over what was originally budgeted. He also reminds that in addition to the winter weather that Bethlehem has faced to date in 2014, the city also has to be prepared to deal with any additional snow or ice that comes in November and December at the end of the year.

How does the current winter stack up against others that Alkhal and his staff have had to deal with?

"It's one of the worst but not the very worst so far, at least judging by any single event," Alkhal says. "I have had winters when a single event was as much as 22 inches and we hauled snow for days."