DOT’s weather watcher relies on technology, forecasters and his own senses to read snowstorms – The Providence Journal

Jack Perry|The Providence Journal

Anticipating winter storms so he can keep Rhode Island highways plowed, the state Department of Transportation'sJoe Bucci can talk to forecasters, watch radar and monitor systems that tell him road temperatures across the state.

But he doesn't overlook his own senses, sharpened by a career spent plowing through storms dating back to the Blizzard of '78. Sometimes the size of the snowflakes, the smell of the air can tell him as much about a storm as a computer model might.

"I don't make forecasts. I don't consider myself a weatherman, but you kind of get a feel for it," Bucci says.

Astate highway operations engineer, Bucci is in charge of the DOT's Division of Highway and Bridge Maintenance. After a slow start to the winter, Buccihas been busy lately as a series of storms have moved through the region.

He's a key player in ensuring the state's 3,300 miles of highway lane miles are treated and plowed. Bucci has to know when and where the state should deploy its fleet of 178 trucks, and when, or if, to call private vendors who can provide another350 trucks.

"We have to be prepared for the worst," Bucci says.

Still, it's a delicatebalance. Underplay the threat, and the roads are a mess; travel is hazardous. Put the trucks on the road too early, the budget gets blown, and the drivers might be out there too long, exhausted.

"Unfortunately, there's really no secret sauce," Bucci says.

Bucci has a wealth of technology and information at his disposal. AccuWeather provides the DOT 24-hour access to a forecaster. Bucci can pull plenty of information from the National Weather Service's website andsit in on their storm discussions.

The DOT also uses a weather station that provides real-time information on factors such as air temperature, road temperature and wind speed in various parts of the state.

"We take all of these things, pour it into a big pot and stir it," Bucci says.

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Knowing when the storm will start is one of the most important pieces of information, but it's not always clear. Computer models and forecasters don't always agree. "The timing is very important for us, especially if it's going to affect the morning or evening commute," Buccisays.

The intensity of the storm is also key. If the snow falls at a rate greater than 1 inch an hour, it's tough for the plows to keep up.

"We do everything we can to keep the roads as safe as possible," he says.

Here's something that adds to the challenge: The weather in Rhode Island can vary dramatically across just a few miles. Oftentimes, when it's snowing inBurrillville, it's raining in Newport. Or it might be snowing along the coast, but dry in the northern part of the state. "As small as we are, believe it or not, we have several different microclimates," Bucci says.

That's where experience helps again. The state has seven different highway districts, and staff membersin those districtshave a good feel for when and where problems are likely to surface, Bucci says.

Once astorm starts, DOT supervisors can monitor conditions and progress of the plow crews from a warm office. The state has several cameras set on roads and bridges. The trucks have GPS systems that send information on location. Many of the trucks also have cameras that can relay conditions back to headquarters. Some even have monitors that indicate whether too much or too little treatment is being put on the road surface.

In pre-COVID days, several DOT employees could gather in the "storm room" to keep an eye on developments, but now they haveto keep farther apart, according to Charles St. Martin, a DOT spokesman.

Bucci would rather be out in a truck anyway, experiencing the storm first-hand and seeing conditions for himself."I'm a visual learner," he says. "I like to be out in it."

Bucci may beone of the few New Englanders with a fond memory of the Blizzard of '78. He was 18 years old, working for a friend clearing snow with a payloader."I thought, 'This is pretty cool,' a teenager driving around in a payloader is pretty neat," Bucci recalls.

Indeed, Bucci has had plenty of experience. He seemed calm Wednesday morning, even as forecasters were calling forsnow to hit the region Thursday and Friday.

"I don't worry about it. I don't panic because that's not going to help the situation," he says.

Despite a recent string of storms, the winter of 2020-21 isn't anywhere close to the worst he's seen. The DOT typically works 25 to 30 storms a year, but this will be only the 10th, according to Bucci and St. Martin.

Bucci prepares with theconfidence of a man who has weathered a lot of storms.

"Things always go wrong. There'salways something that comes up," Bucci says. "If Ihaven't seen it, then someone else here would have. Wewill always find a way to figure it out and get through it."

jperry@providencejournal.com

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On Twitter: @jgregoryperry

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DOT's weather watcher relies on technology, forecasters and his own senses to read snowstorms - The Providence Journal