Originally Posted by Fareastdriver
People cause the difficulties.
After a snowfall the duty crew drive around the perimeter tracks and runway and announce that it is covered with snow.
The O/C ATC drives around the perimeter track and the runway and announces that it is covered with snow.
The O/C Operations drives around the perimeter track and runway and announces that it is covered with cnow.
The Station Commander drives around the perimeter tracks and runway and announces that it is covered in snow.
Various other personnel who apparantly have an interest drive around the perimeter tracks and runway and announce that it is covered in snow.
It isn't covered in snow. It has a lot of snow but is now covered by all the ice created by vehicle tyres driving over the snow.
Certainly happened at Waddo in the winter of 81/82 [I think that was the year]. OC Eng arranged for an endless procession of bowsers with blades, up and down, up and down the rw for hours. They compacted the snow into ice, which the blades subsequently rode over without any effect. We ended up with ice nearly a foot thick on the rw edges, which could then not be attacked by the MRD due to attrition on light fittings! I spent 3 days out there [on the grass in a LR] trying to unravel the mess; it only got better when Waddo swapped a staff car for Scampton's snow-clearing enormous lawn-mower thing, which was eventually able to eat its way through the snow/ice banks.
We remained Op capable throughout, though ... except probably NOT for landing.