Climatic regioning and winter road maintenance in Lithuania

Abstract

Climatic, hydrological, geological and topographical conditions in Lithuania have a considerable effect on the design, construction and maintenance of roads (especially, on winter maintenance). On a global scale the climate of Lithuania is supposed to be uniform. However, depending on the most specific characteristics of weather conditions, Lithuania‘s territory has been divided into four climatic regions, i.e. Coastal, Samogitian, Middle Lowland and South Eastern Highland. Road maintenance specialists, who take care of roads and streets in winter, are raising a very important question - do the mentioned climatic regions correspond to the regioning from the road maintenance point of view. For this comparison and assessment the data of Road Weather Information System (RWIS) could be used, accumulated since 1999.