Fort Wood’s snow and ice removal program — referred to as SNAIR — has various methods in place to keep people informed

Just a week ago, Fort Leonard Wood area residents were experiencing near-record and record-cold temperatures. It served as a reminder to start preparing for winter weather conditions when they arrive. Travelers and commuters always need to know the latest weather and road conditions before hitting the roads.
Fort Wood’s snow and ice removal program — referred to as SNAIR — has various methods in place to keep people informed of treacherous travel and weather-related information. During winter weather conditions, the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood Installation Operations Center coordinates SNAIR to ensure the safety of personnel and to minimize the impact on training and other missions. Patrick Daniels, deputy director of Fort Leonard Wood’s Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization, and Security — the agency that oversees the program–says, “The purpose of SNAIR is to keep everyone aware of current road conditions, manage the removal of snow and ice and get the installation back to normal as soon as safely possible.” The Fort Leonard Wood Current Weather page is updated at 4 a.m. every day year-round and as weather conditions change. Road conditions on the post are broken down by color-coded definitions to quickly tell drivers what to expect as the weather changes. On that web page, drivers can access facility closures, current road conditions, the status of primary parking lots, and more. Commuters can get updated weather information on their smartphone through the Digital Garrison app, available for free in the Google Play or Apple App Store. Common Access Cardholders, their family members, long-term contractors, private organizations, and tenants on the installation can also receive notifications on their phones via the ALERT! Mass Warning Notification System. Another avenue of information is the Missouri Department of Transportation web page. Visitors to this site can click on the traveler info map and the icon for traffic cameras on the left of the page and can then select an area of I-44 to view live.