| in Did You Know Facts
Cities are forced to dispose the snow off in different ways.
When there is too much snow for cities to handle, it is usually hauled away to parking lots or other wide-open spaces where it can sit until the weather warms up. Cities are sometimes forced to dump snow in the ocean during particularly snowy seasons, only to be chastised by environmental activists. Snow melters, which use hot water to melt 30 to 50 tonnes of snow per hour, are used in some cities. This method is quick but expensive—a single machine can cost $200,000 and consume 60 gallons of fuel in an hour.