City to Transition Info Full-City Plow

Kirstin Davis, Communications Manager, 509.625.7773

Wednesday, January 17, 2024 at 4:03 p.m.

City of Spokane snow crews started working streets at 4 a.m. this morning and have maintained priority arterial routes and hills today. A full crew will work through the night and transition into a Full-City plow as arterials and secondary routes are clear and snowfall subsides.

Full-City operations means crews will work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until they plow all streets within the City. Additional personnel from water and wastewater will be part of Full-City plowing efforts. Under the City’s snow response plan, a Full-City plow reaching all 2,200 lane miles of streets should take about three days to complete once it stops snowing and is dependent on weather conditions.

“The dayshift crews have been focused on main arterials and hills today and the night crew will continue that work as needed,” says Street Director Clint Harris. “Once those routes can sustain safe travel conditions, crews will start moving into secondary and residential areas.”

The community is reminded that snow response priority starts with arterials and hills with secondary routes including schools and hospitals following and then working in residential areas. These routes often include applying materials such as sand and deicer. The City has four designated material sites reducing the amount of time it takes for drivers to replenish their supplies and get back on course. The order for plowing residential routes will be posted on the City’s web site; this page also includes the City’s plow map, which will be updated with the progress of the plows once it is activated. The City’s residential plow route map shows the routes.

Plow teams in residential areas will use snow gates to reduce berms at the end of driveways as much as possible. The City has 19 pieces of equipment outfitted with those gates. Crews will work to plow snow away from the curb to help keep snow away from sidewalks. Snow also may be pushed to center medians in some cases.

When driving in these wintry conditions, the City is asking motorists to slow down, be patient, and drive according to the conditions. Don't follow plows closely, and please do not try to pass plow trucks; it is very dangerous.

A reminder of how the community can help:

  • Vehicles should be parked on the odd side of the street in residential areas to assist plows. Berms are likely in front of cars, even those parked on the odd side of the street. The parking restrictions are intended to allow plow drivers to do a better job of clearing snow in neighborhoods and to complete their work more efficiently.
  • The City asks residents and businesses to clear a 36-inch pedestrian path on sidewalks. Please assist your neighbors who may need help removing snow from their driveways and sidewalks. 
  • Don’t blow or shovel snow into the street, but back into your yard. 
  • Clear snow off parked cars to allow plow drivers to see them better.
  • Consider clearing snow and ice around mailboxes and storm drains.
  • Downed trees and large limbs in the right of way should be reported to 311.