Algonquin Road climbs hard away from the river bridge, and a grade like that turns three inches of snow into a decision nobody wants to make at seven in the morning. 4 Sons Concrete & Snow Removal is out at three instead, headlights swinging through the flakes, plowing, shoveling and laying salt until the hills behave again. Driveways get opened down to pavement, walks get cut wide enough for two people to pass, and the berm the plow wing wants to leave at the apron gets moved by hand. Winter here arrives in fast clippers out of the northwest — little warning, plenty of consequence. The whole point is a car backing out before dawn without a second of hesitation, in Algonquin and the towns along the valley.