[The Duke]

BEST_LAID_PLANS_PING!

[molson209]

We have LED traffic lights and I’ve never noticed any snow buildup and we have no shortage of snow

[KarlInOhio]

Probably it is most efficient to have LED bulbs with an infrared heater for use during cold weather than to go back to incandescent bulbs. Waste heat isn't so wasteful in the winter when it is used to keep the room warm.

[caver]

Unintended consequences......

[Jeff Chandler]

Truck drivers have the same problem with trailer tail lights.

[tophat9000]

Replace the LED’s with laser.. then you can melt the snow and the occasional scofflaw running traffic lights

[BitWielder1]

When our old boiler died, we had to replace it with an "energy efficient" unit.
Sure, it works, but now the basement is so cold we have to have an electric heater on down there to prevent the pipes from freezing.
Unfortunately, the cost of electricity for the heater exceeds the cost of the oil we're saving.

[Ken H]

Solution.

[Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America]

Heating elements to the rescue! By the way, AUTO MANUFACTURERS NEED TO WAKE UP AND NOT MAKE THEIR LED TAIL LIGHTS SO DARN BRIGHT!!!!!!!!! IT’S ANNOYING, TIRING, BOTHERSOME, UNNECESSARY AND HURTS MY EYES!!!!!!!!!

[RightOnTheBorder]

IIRC Back in the 90’s there was some experimentation with High voltage DC transmission lines. One of the problems was that they did not get hot enough to keep ice off them.

In this case the traffic lights should be an easy fix with a thermostat and a heating element.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Wisconsin had the same problem a few years ago. Heavy snow would fall and they couldn’t see the stop and go lights. Traffic jams ensued!

[Don Corleone]

Ahhhhh So!

[Star Traveler]

Unintended consequences ...

[Rio]

Global warming will make this a non-problem soon enough. No more snow.
...unless Japan gets Climate Change instead, in which case they’d have MORE snow.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Those pesky unintended consequences.

It's what happens when you have non-engineers making engineering decisions.

[Awgie]

Murphy’s Law and The Law of Unintended consequences.

[outofsalt]

We have LED traffic signals which cannot be seen at low sun angles. The bright morning or evening sun outshines the output of the lamps and makes the signal nearly indistinguishable for east and west facing lights.

[Figment]

I don’t know much about LED traffic lights, but I guarantee these don’t have any problem melting snow. The two pics that show the cast aluminum heat sinks are the size of a manhole cover and about three inches deep.They have no shortage of heat.
http://www.optilume.net/

[Recompennation]

Just like on all government induced energy abortion schemes... the cost benefit chickens are coming home to roost. O d’oh

[Bobalu]

Of course the answer is inclusion of a tiny heating element.

Soda machines have a heater, why not LED traffic lights.
(in very cold areas sodas would burst in the machines if not for the tiny heater inside)