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Alison Kuznitz | SHNS
The Blizzard of 2026 and other storms that battered Massachusetts this winter busted the state's snow and ice removal budget, which means the Legislature could soon be asked to appropriate more money.
Costs associated with this season's cleanups may even exceed state spending in 2015, when the state experienced a succession of storms, said State Highway Administrator and MassDOT Undersecretary Jonathan Gulliver. The events of the winter of 2015 became known as Snowmageddon.
The fiscal 2026 budget contains $85 million for snow and ice removal. Year-to-date spending is at $156.5 million, Gulliver said, based on an average statewide snowfall of 62.1 inches and 23 statewide "events."
"We have already exceeded $150 million for our budget. I expect, by the way, that this number is going to continue to grow," Gulliver told members of the Joint Ways and Means Committee gathered at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where his daughter attends.
Gulliver noted there's still a few weeks left of winter, and drew laughter as he told lawmakers, "I'd love it to be over." Ice removal is ongoing, even with the warm weather.
"When you have wet roadways, we have to go out there treating them every single night to make sure that the ice is kept away," Gulliver said. "That means, I expect that we're going to probably be exceeding our budget, getting up to somewhere around $160 million for the end of the season. But again, let's hope there's no more big ones left."
MassDOT spent $162.3 million on snow and ice removal during the 2014-15 winter season, a spokesperson told the News Service.
The Legislature, which has put the brakes on supplemental spending after passing a string of midyear spending bills in fiscal 2025, will likely need to find resources to help MassDOT fill this year's budget deficit.
Gov. Maura Healey's fiscal 2027 budget allocates $85 million for snow and ice removal. That figure aligns with the five-year annual spending level and reflects that winter storms are becoming "increasingly more severe and unpredictable," according to a Healey administration budget brief.
This winter's snow cleanups, plus year-round prep, has racked up 735,000 hours worth of work, according to Gulliver's presentation. Sen. Ryan Fattman, a Sutton Republican who during last year's budget hearings took an interest in the state's supply of clean trucks, asked how many of those hours were completed with zero-emission vehicles.
"Very, very few of them," Gulliver said, as he pointed to positions like "chasers" and foremen. "But our snow and ice operation, typically, you're dealing with diesel vehicles and others that have to manage those."
For active snow operations, MassDOT uses a roughly 85/15 split between contractors and state workers, Gulliver said. Fattman referenced a state law that requires manufacturers to sell an increasing volume of zero-emission vehicles, and asked whether the goal of reaching 100% by 2035 was "realistic."
MassDOT has been working to convert its fleet to clean vehicles, Gulliver said. But when it comes to heavy equipment for snow and ice removal, there's not many options on the market right now, he said.
"We're not the ones making the vehicle, so we rely heavily on where those vehicles are being made," Gulliver said. "And we will certainly use them when they become available."
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection last April said it would use "enforcement discretion" over medium- and heavy-duty vehicles for model years 2025 and 2026, after manufacturers cited challenges complying with Advanced Clean Trucks requirements.
MassDOT has used about 426,570 tons of salt this winter. Rep. Todd Smola said he heard from several hospitals and health care institutions that struggled to access salt, and asked Gulliver if he was aware of the problem.
The state has previously opened its salt supply to cities and towns, Gulliver said. But supply was tight this year, including in western Massachusetts.
"When that happens, we typically divert some of those state resources over to cities and towns, but those suppliers will prioritize municipal and state contracts first, rather than those private ones," Gulliver said. "If a hospital or other institution was using a private contractor, they may not be getting the best service."
Based on the number of requests this winter, Gulliver said MassDOT is working with the Operational Services Division on a new approach to prioritize private vendors that may be serving public entities or institutions.
"If people can't get to the health care institution, that's scary, so (I'd) love to work with you on that," Smola, a Warren Republican, said.
Alison Kuznitz is a reporter for State House News Service and State Affairs Pro Massachusetts.
