Utah's dry winter saving UDOT millions in snow removal budget

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's big snowstorm this week had the snowplows out in full force, but overall this winter those crews haven't had much plow work to do.

This year's lack of snow has helped the Utah Department of Transportation save millions in snow removal. So what does the department do with all that extra money? UDOT told KSL it lets its crews begin road repair earlier in the year.

So far, UDOT reported saving a minimum of $4 million dollars compared to years past.

UDOT has budgeted roughly $30 million for snow removal for the 2025-2026 winter. Before Wednesday's storm, it had only used $7.5 million.

Last year at this time, UDOT had used $11.5 million. In 2024, it was $15.2 million. In the big snow year for 2023, It had already used $24.1 million. Depending on which year you compare it to, that's anywhere from $4 million to $16 million less than previous years.

So where does that extra money go?

UDOT stated snow removal comes under a larger $169 million budget for overall road maintenance.

Any extra money for snow removal gets put back into the roads. Things like maintenance crews doing nighttime crack sealing on the freeway in Ogden or the same thing on the highway in Richfield.

UDOT stated this year, the abnormally dry weather has given crews an early jump on a number of projects that normally don't start until the spring.

"We're able to do more litter cleanup, pothole repair, we've done a lot of crack sealing jobs, keeping the water out of the pavement," said John Gleason, UDOT spokesman.

UDOT said this winter it has already dedicated 71,000 work hours to road maintenance projects that typically wouldn't begin for another several months. Not only are crews getting an early jump, UDOT stated it is likely saving even more money down the road. It stated a well-maintained road typically costs less in the end.

It's kind of a double-edged sword. UDOT feels great that it can be proactive on road maintenance but knows at the same time, when the plows are out, that means Utah's snowpack, water storage and ski resorts are getting the help they need.

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