Snowtron
What do you do with the snow that builds up on Minneapolis streets in the wintertime? Over the years, public works has tried all sort of options -- stack it, dump it in the river, leave it be. In the 1960s, they decided to melt it with a Snowtron.
First introduced to Minneapolis in 1967, the Snowtron was a mobile snow melter. Like a snowplow, the Snowtron would roll down the street after a snowfall. Instead of moving the snow, however, the Snowtron would gather snow into itself with a large auger. Three diesel-powered burners inside the Snowtron melted the snow, and a hose out the back of the machine deposited the water into the gutters along the side of the road. From there, the melted snow disappeared down the city sewer.
The Snowtron's service in Minneapolis was short lived. Within the first few years, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency grew concerned about what was being put down the sewers. When the snow was melted, extra salt was added to ensure the melted snow did not turn to ice in the gutters. This extra-salty water was then travelling to the state's lakes and rivers. Moreover, when the energy crisis of the 1970s arrived, the Snowtron became more of a liability than an asset. The machine's burners needed about 100 gallons of fuel per hour.
By 1978, the city's affection for the Snowtron had passed. Melvin Enquist, director of street maintenance and sanitation, told the Star Tribune that "the trade-in value [of the Snowtrons] is so low that they're worth more as junk."
Photo of a Snowtron from the City of Minneapolis Collection in the Hennepin County Library Digital Collections.
