Less snow doesn’t mean less work for city crews.

Roland Aitchison, superintendent of operations for the city’s roadway maintenance, said for 2011, the snow-removal budget was set for $43 million. However, the city has spent $30 million more than that.

“We had a phenomenal snow last winter that taxed the crews to the max,” he said.

After the “snowmagedon” of last winter, Edmonton added extra contractors.

Last season, the city hauled more than three million cubic metres of snow into its snow storage sites.

“We staffed up with extra people for this year and got additional trucks for this year and no snow,” he said.

“All the guys were out doing things we do in the spring — pothole repairs, litter, sight line clearing. Not the regular January-type activities.”

Regardless of the type of winter precipitation, city crews are out sanding, working 24/7 on snow and ice control. Rain may even mean more sanding than when the snow falls.

“This year, we sanded residential, which we don’t normally do,” he said. “That’s an additional cost to the budget. That’s not normal.”

Moisture makes potholes worse. Last year, the thaw happened at the regular time in spring and the wretched weather made for the second worst year for city potholes. While this winter is drier, the freeze and thaw is more like spring.

Traffic also plays a part.

“If this is going to be the trend, we’re probably going to have more potholes,” he said. “Conditions are longer.”

Crews are trying to patch potholes as they appear, but since it’s not actually spring they can’t do permanent repairs.

“We’re just buying time,” he said.

“We’re bandaiding it until we can do some proper repairs in the spring and the summer. We’re stopping them from getting bigger. We’re not stopping them from going away.”

If there’s no snow for the rest of the winter there’s still next winter in the budget to worry about, he explained.

“If it goes according to what we’re seeing now, we will be under-spent,” he said. “How much, I don’t know.”

It will be up to council to make the decision on where to make up the $30 million.

catherine.griwkowsky@sunmedia.ca