In 1993 a team of winter maintenance professionals set about to study the winter maintenance practices and equipment of Nordic countries and Japan. After witnessing their equipment and methods the team quickly realized enormous opportunities existed to improve winter maintenance in the United States. Recognizing the potential of those newly found examples, AASHTO administrative resolution 94-3 was approved, launching a program that was to become the Snow and Ice Pooled Fund Cooperative Program.
AASHTO leadership challenged the AASHTO Winter Weather Management program to find technologies, not in use in the US, research them, and implement them in a systems oriented framework. Technologies continue to evolve along with the needs of member States, and the AASHTO Winter Weather Management remains committed to improving winter maintenance through identification, research, and technology transfer.