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Did It Really Snow in July… In Hawaii?

Yes, you heard that news report correctly; it really did snow at the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii on July 17, 2015. Icy conditions even caused the closure of the Mauna Kea Access Road early Friday morning. By midmorning the temperature was still only 36 degrees, with a wind-chill of 27 degrees; traces of the 1.5 – 2 inches of snow …

Salt-Sand-Ice-Removal

Brancato Busts the Biggest Myths About Snow and Ice Removal

July might not feel like the time to be thinking about snow and ice removal; people are more apt to think about an Italian ice or a snow cone. But in reality, now is the time to plan ahead for those hardy Chicago snow storms. Just knowing the truth about de-icers, salt and other methods of snow and ice mitigation …

Chicago Snow: Interesting Snow Removal Stories & Funny Videos

Let’s be honest, Chicago snow and ice creates a lot of challenges. Interesting snow removal stories & funny videos can help get us through a cold hard winter. And it’s especially easy to laugh about when it’s summer in Chicago and we’re looking at 80 degree temps! Living in the Snow Belt requires a lot of fortitude, patience, planning and …

The Surprising History of the Traffic Cone: Spring is here, Chicago!

They’re so ubiquitous now that it’s difficult to imagine a world without them, especially starting in Spring in Chicago: the tall, orange cones that were the bane of our first driver’s test and our constant roadway companions ever since. These bright triangles of helpfulness did not just spring fully-formed from the ground, however. They had their own history of development, …

The History of Snow Removal: When Was the First Snow Plow?

It’s been snowing since the beginning of time, but snow plows certainly haven’t been around for that long. Imagine the history of snow removal starting back in the early 1800s when people tried to run businesses during a fierce Chicago blizzard. What did they you do about it? Not much at first according to historians, but as time passed and …

winter jogger

5 Ideas for What to Do in Chicago During Mild Winter Weather

It’s no secret that we’ve been experiencing bouts of an unseasonably mild winter in Chicago in 2016. While WE love a snowy winter for obvious reasons (as a Chicago Snow removal company), we understand that some of you are rejoicing. But if you enjoy curling up with a good book by the fireplace while the winter storms rage outside, you …

More Than Chicago Snow Removal – We Travel!

<!–cke_bookmark_135S–><!–cke_bookmark_135E–> The somewhat mild winter of 2015-2016 came to a definite end for many Americans recently, as the first true blizzard of the season, Storm Jonas, hit the Midwest and East Coast on Jan. 24, 2016, snarling up travel plans and blanketing entire cities in snow. Although the situation was much more dire in cities like Washington, D.C. and New …

2016

New Year’s Resolution: What Weight Cycling & a Mild Chicago Winter Have in Common

As we venture into 2016, most of us will make New Year’s resolutions. According to recent statistics, 45% of Americans generally make such resolutions. Unsurprisingly, the number one resolution is to lose weight. Although secondary resolutions include getting organized and living life to the fullest, our attention was caught by the first one. Believe it or not, losing weight and …

Chicago's worst snowplower

Snow Removal Chicago IL: Best Snow Plow Fail Videos – MUST SEE!

The wonderful thing about commercial snow plows is that they can effectively clear great quantities of snow from roads, parking lots, and other vast spaces without exerting a great amount of manpower. Snow removal in Chicago IL is something we take seriously at Brancato, but it’s it’s fun to check out some of the best snow plow fail videos from …

Busting 5 Myths for Driving in Snow or Ice

Driving on snow or ice is a treacherous activity some of us in Chicago and other parts of the country cannot avoid. The US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Department reported a 10 year average from 2002-2012 of over 200,000 accidents whose root cause was winter precipitation. These weather related accidents make up 17% of all accidents. So we wanted …