Marlene Feist

Preparing for Snow!

Marlene Feist, Public Works Director of Strategic Development, 509.625.6505

Monday, October 28, 2019 at 4:35 p.m.

The City’s declared snow season officially launches Nov. 15, but our community already has seen a couple of shots of the white stuff, including one that brought down tons and tons of tree limbs around the City.

With that backdrop, today’s briefing of the City’s Snow Response Plan by Mayor David Condon, Council Member Breean Beggs, and other City officials is timely.

More plowing in more areas sooner is the centerpiece of the City’s plan, which was revamped a couple of years ago to respond to citizen concerns.

When it snows, even if it’s just an inch or two, crews will plow all of the streets, including residential streets. We do that “maintenance plow” work on the day shift, Monday through Friday, when crews from our water and wastewater utilities are more available.  When it snows more than that, we will move to 24/7 operations. It takes about 3 days days to complete a full-City plow.

The City also will be using its bigger fleet of snow gates that help reduce driveway berms. We now have 16 of those gates. While the gates won’t eliminate driveway berms, especially on arterials that are plowed frequently, they will greatly reduce them.

With continued cold weather, now is a great time to make your own winter plan:

  • Move your recreational vehicle, boat or trailer off the street and to a winter storage location now.
  • Make sure you have adequate snow shovels or a working snow blower. Consider buying some salt or sand. Property owners are asked to clear sidewalks by 9 a.m. after a snowstorm, if possible.
  • Consider signing up with a company that provides snow removal services before the snow flies if you don’t want to shovel yourself.
  • For seniors or disabled individuals who may need help shoveling, call 3-1-1 now to get connected to volunteer services.
  • Figure out where you can park throughout the snow season, from Nov. 15 to March 15. We ask everyone to park on the odd side of the street to allow plows to get through.
  • Figure out what residential snow plow route you live in to make it easier to track the progress of plows. Here is a link to the residential plow route map. (PDF 1.3 MB)
  • Make sure you know who in your neighborhood might need help with shoveling or other winter work and offer to help. 

Check out all the Snow Response Plan details on the Street Department’s snow page.

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