The hottest new light bulb technology doesn’t seem to be hot enough. City officials still say it’s a bright idea because switching traffic lights from candescent to LED bulbs saves thousands of dollars a year.

The candescent lights gave off so much excess heat that when it snowed, the snow would easily melt. But LED lights don’t give off any of that “wasted” heat, meaning the snow doesn’t melt as quickly.

"Dry, blowing snow--we have no problems,” explains South Bend Signals and Lighting Manager Ed Gleckler. “It's when the snow starts sticking, sticking to branches of your trees, it will stick to the signals. The snow has to be wet, heavy and a lot of wind where it will force it to pack up against the lenses."

Gleckler demonstrates by touching candescent light bulbs how hot they can get.

"That will get hot,” Gleckler says. “You won't be able to touch it."

Oppositely, LED bulbs don’t feel any warmer to the touch.

"Depending on the direction the snow is coming from, that direction's traffic signal can be completely obscured," explains Captain Phil Trent, South Bend Police Department. "The lake effect snow, along with the wind, can make the snow go sideways, be very heavy, sometimes wet and it will obscure the traffic light lenses."

Police say if you can’t clearly read a traffic signal, state law says you must treat the intersection like a four way stop.

"It will definitely make me slow down when I'm coming to lights to make sure that it's the right color," says Shaun Landry, who drives often for work.

"I think it's a balance,” explains Jeremiah Wilcher, who drives a truck all over the region for his job. “We always have to have good and there's always going to be consequences, pros and cons, with everything we do."

City officials say when you add up how much money is saved in energy and how infrequently traffic is dangerously disturbed, switching to LED lights was a good decision.