Table Of Contents
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SNOW REMOVAL OPERATIONS
Plowing Procedures:
Plowing begins when there is an inch or more of snow on the major arterials. The first streets to be plowed are the major arterial routes. Next the plows move onto the secondary arterials and bus routes. If snow continues to accumulate, residential hill routes will be plowed after all arterial & bus routes are cleared. Finally, the plows move into the residential streets. The residential streets are grouped into routes. The area map can be found on fliers located at City Hall, libraries or Senior Centers or can be linked to at Residential Plow Routes. The first residential area to be plowed is rotated each time. Once we begin to plow the residential areas, the Snow Hotline at (509) 456-2666, will have a recorded message indicating the order of the routes.
Links to Additional Information:
Winter Driving Information
Studded Tire Information
Spokane Forecast
Snow and Ice Control Policy:
The following is the official city policy covering snow and ice control operations.
1. Whenever there is a danger of icy conditions on the roadways of the city, the Street Maintenance Section of the Street Department will activate the Snow and Ice Control Plan. The Section will monitor the street conditions and will respond in accordance with the procedures outlined in the plan. The decision to respond and what the response will be shall be vested with the city administration and shall normally be assigned to the Director of the Public Works & Utilities Division, the Street Department Director, or the Operations Engineer of the Street Department. When plowing of the streets is the selected response, the City Administrator or his/her designee shall be authorized to declare a Snow Emergency. A declaration of a Snow Emergency is necessary to allow for the removal of vehicles left on streets to be plowed.
2. Snow plowing operations will be initiated in the following manner unless it is readily apparent that changing weather conditions will not warrant plowing.
a) Plow major arterial streets with an Average Daily Traffic (ADT) count of 15,000 or more and critical arterial hills when the snow depth exceeds one (1) inch. A liquid or dry deicer will be spread onto these roadways following the plowing when weather conditions permit. Sanding material will only be used when the roadways cannot be kept in a safe and operational condition using the above methods. When sanding materials are used, they will be swept up as soon as weather conditions permit regardless of the time of year. When the Spokane County Air Pollution Control Authority (SCAPCA) declares a stagnant air alert, all sweeping operations will stop and the 15,000 ADT arterials will be treated as necessary with a dust palliative.
b) Plow all arterial and residential streets when the snow depth exceeds four (4) inches.
3. Snow plowing routes will be established on the basis of the following priority list:
a) Snow Emergency Access Routes (SEAR)
(Major arterial streets with a (ADT) count of 15,000 or more and critical arterial hills)
b) Major Arterial Routes (MAR)
(All other major arterial streets)
c) Secondary Arterials and Bus Routes (SAB)
d) Improved and unimproved residential streets
4. Snow and Ice control measures will not be used on alleys at any time.
5. Plowing of residential streets shall be accomplished in the following manner. First the city will be divided into plow districts using natural terrain features and major streets as boundaries. Those districts that are made up of hilly streets shall be given priority over other districts. Crews shall plow all of the streets in a district before moving to another district. Residents shall be advised which districts are to be plowed during each work shift. With proper notification, during a major snow event (over 4"), the Street Department is authorized to tow vehicles that are parked on the streets to be plowed.
6. The streets will be plowed with the snow being plowed to within one foot of the curb on all streets even though in many cases the sidewalks will be covered. Driveways on arterials may be filled with a thin wide band of snow. Driveways on residential streets could be filled with substantial berms of snow that shall become the resident’s responsibility to clear.
7. Chemical deicer treatment to clear snow in congested areas such as the Central Business District (CBD) shall be started as soon as snow falls and shall continue as long as appropriate. If temperatures are too low to facilitate clearing, loading and hauling snow from these areas may be performed after the snow has reached eight inches in depth on the roadway surface.
City Equipment Used For Snow and Ice Removal:
The City has a total of 35 plows for use, 7 of which can sand at the same time and 6 of which can de-ice at the same time. Additional sander trucks and 3 de-icer trucks are available. The combination of equipment in use depends on the conditions at the time.
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Spokane Streets