City of Dubuque used less salt due to mild winter

Other than a couple of weeks of seemingly never-ending snow in January — and a flurry of flurries last week — Dubuque snowplows have been relatively quiet over the winter season. Salt trucks deployed March 22 for the first time in several weeks, but snowfall totals didn’t come close to those two weeks in January when 26.5 inches fell, including a 12-inch storm on Jan. 9. As of March 21, city crews had pulled slightly more than 3,200 tons from the salt inventory. Last winter season, the city used nearly 5,300 tons. Of the 3,200 tons used through Thursday, 2,327.48 tons were spread during those two weeks in January. About 873 tons covered the rest of the winter season, so far.