During a snowfall, the Street Maintenance Division s first priority is to keep main streets, bridges and hills open, salted, and sanded. There are 10 ice control routes encompassing 73 miles of streets and 4 sand routes. During heavy snow accumulation, the City will start plowing the main streets and will continue to replow these streets as many times as needed. Snowplows are dispatched to all neighborhoods at the same time. Plowing order within each route is rotated with each storm.
Snowplows operate around the clock until all city streets have been plowed curb to curb.
This takes approximately 12 hours from the time a snowfall has ended. However, every storm is different. Heavy snowfall, icy conditions, high winds, snow showers which stop and start again, the time of day, and other factors can affect the length of time required to clear all streets. Whenever, in the opinion of the Director of Public Works or that person s designee, an emergency exists in the city because of snow, freezing rain, sleet, or ice, an emergency can be declared for a period of 72 hours. During declared snow emergencies, parking is not permitted on posted snow emergency routes until streets have been plowed curb to curb and it has stopped snowing.