City Plowing
Plowing begins in the City when snow is more than 1-inch deep and forecasts indicate no melting will occur. The Streets Department is responsible for plowing more than 180 lane miles of roadway in the City.

Snow Removal Priority List
During plowing, emphasis is given to primary streets, which are major thoroughfares or streets with dangerous hills or curves. These streets are given top priority to ensure that emergency services such as police, ambulances, fire trucks, and emergency equipment can respond. Secondary streets, which intersect major thoroughfares, will be plowed and salted after primary streets have received treatment. Dead-end streets and cul-de-sacs will be plowed and salted last.

Road Salt
Road salt loses its melting ability below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. When the temperature plunges into the teens or below, the roads in the City are treated with a salt-brine solution. The solution, which is a mixture of 23% salt and 67% water, places a salt layer on the roadways, preventing snow and ice from easily bonding to the pavement. However, when the temperatures drop for extended periods, neither salt nor salt-brine solution has much effect.

Residents Can Help
The community also plays a large role in assisting the City with quick and efficient snow removal. The following are tips on how residents can help:

• Be patient.
• Do not push snow into the street.
• Clear snow from the sidewalks in front of your home or business.
• Remove parked cars from the street, especially in cul-de-sacs.