Are LED Traffic Lights Safe in Winter?
LED traffic signals are great alternative to traditional incandescent signals.
Energy Saving
use 80 to 90 percent less energy
and
last 5 to 10 times longer
Maintenance Cost
Saving
increased replacement interval
due to
extended lifetime
Enhanced Safety
brighter
and
unlikely to fail all at once
However, LED traffic signals cannot melt snow!
One of the great advantages of LED traffic signals is that they do not waste energy by producing heat. The surface temperature of LED traffic signals only mark between 10 to 20 °C (50 to 68 °F), while incandescent lamps hover near 45 °C (113 °F).
This advantage, however, acted adversely in some snowy scenarios as the LED traffic signals were unable to melt away accumulated snow.
- Regular LED traffic signals covered with snow
T-Bone Crash at Site of Snow-Covered Traffic Signal
Snow-covered traffic signals pose great safety threat to motorist and pedestrian. They cannot navigate safely when LED traffic lights are obscured by snow. Numerous accidents have been reported in North America. 
Driver blames snow clogged LED traffic light for crash in Cleveland
LED Traffic Lights Getting Bogged Down By Snow
