Culvert Thawing in Roy, WA: What the Work Involves
Roy does not get much snow in a typical year. It averages 1.8 days with 1 in or more of snow. But it has 42 freezing nights from October to April, and that matters more for culverts. Meltwater and rain can freeze overnight inside a pipe, then refreeze after a short thaw.
Recent Heavy Snow events in the Roy area were logged on Dec 26, 2021, Feb 8, 2019 and Feb 22, 2018. A heavy snow followed by melt is when a blocked culvert can push water over a driveway or road edge.
At a Roy property, the work usually covers:
- Locating the culvert inlet and outlet and clearing snow and debris from both ends
- Thawing ice inside the pipe so water can move through
- Checking that water has a clear path away from the driveway or road
- Hand work around the opening where machines cannot reach
Roy is 104 minutes from our Bothell yard. Pricing includes a trip charge for Roy (zone D) of $525 per dispatch. Crew member hand work is $110 per person-hour. Winter Weather Advisories show up about 3.38 times a year, so it helps to call when freezing nights start rather than after water is already standing.