After being battered by a series of harsh winters, Perth and Kinross Council has been forced to set aside its largest ever contingency fund.
Multi-million-pound winter maintenance budgets have been completely ravaged in four of the last six years.
In some cases, particularly in 2009 and 2010, the amount spent more than doubled as costs topped £5 million.
Now the local authority is increasing the cash reserve set aside by 10%, with around £3.6m allocated for severe weather events.
Council chiefs have already admitted the cost “could vary”.
Although the effects of weather phenomenon El Nino are still unknown, experts from the Met Office suggest that, while this winter could start off mild, it will grow progressively colder.
Members of the enterprise and infrastructure committee discussed a report, which stated: “Four out of the last six winters have seen severe winter weather affect the Perth and Kinross Council roads and footway network.”
The report continued: “It is always, however, appropriate to examine the arrangements for dealing with winter and this requires to be done in the context of severe weather happening and how it affects other demands on the council budget.”
Early warning systems could play a key role in taking pressure off the winter maintenance budget, with new equipment proposed for the Burghmuir area of Perth.
Cameras will also be installed at South Persie on the A93 and at Rosefield on the A94, with the work estimated to cost £42,200.
Efforts are also being made to provide a high-quality service at lower cost, including pre-ordering 24,000 tonnes of salt similar to the total amount used during the severe winter of 2012/13.
Proposals have been unveiled to carry out de-icing treatments overnight using a brine solution.
It is hoped this will improve adhesion of salt to the carriageway surface, helping to reduce the number of treatments required and resulting in a saving of £4,000.
The council also hopes to extend voluntary arrangements with around 70 farmers through which the council provides snow ploughs in return for road clearing.
These arrangements currently cover about 8% of the network, but additional volunteers will be sought.
Meanwhile, support could once again come from the criminal justice department, with those completing community payback orders tasked with clearing snow.
Joe Giacopazzi, the committee vice-convener, said the council was “committed” to giving residents peace of mind.
He continued: “Last year, winter was milder than expected but that doesn’t mean we can expect the same this year and, for that reason, we can never be complacent when it comes to planning for the upcoming season.”