Depending on the time of year, accumulation and temperatures, the city uses two plowing methods. Snow will be either plowed to the sides or to the middle of the street.
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Method
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Condition
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Action
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Plowing to the sides
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Less than 4 inches of snow prior to December 1st and after March 15th
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Plow trucks and equipment are dispatched to disperse de-icers and plow snow routes. It may be inconvenient for a short time but this does allow the streets to dry sooner. Dry streets are safer for the motoring public and reduce repair costs. In some areas, the snow will always be plowed to the sides. These are areas where there is ample room for snow (barrow ditches, vacant land) or when the streets are too narrow to accommodate windrows.
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Plowing to the middle
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4 or more inches of snow between December 1st and March 15th
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Plow trucks and equipment are dispatched to disperse de-icers and plow snow routes. Plowing to the middle is generally done to clear a pathway throughout the city that accommodates emergency vehicles and the motoring public during snowstorms. This is done to minimize impact to residential driveways, commercial driveways and storm drains. Snow is plowed to the middle of the street in windrows.
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Hauling of snow
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After the storm has subsided and all snow routes have been serviced
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Snow will be hauled until all snow routes are cleared, unless a new snow event interrupts the process. City plow/salt trucks are placed into service as snow haulers. While some trucks have the plow removed from the front, many retain their plows to assist with windrow and miscellaneous clearing duties. The center windrows are loosened from the pavement and tightened up to the center. A snow blower is then used to load the snow into dump trucks. The dump trucks then haul the snow to designated dumping sites.
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Windrow Etiquette and Safety
Cutting through windrows and knocking down windrows can result in vehicle damage, personal injury, and cleanup delay. Windrows often contain vehicle hazards such as large rocks and large ice blocks that cannot be easily seen. Snow that is scattered back into traffic lanes especially on arterial streets becomes a priority removal, as they are emergency vehicle routes. Snowplows will leave collector and residential streets to service arterials. In the best interest of everyone's safety, it is recommended that motorists use the windrow openings instead of creating their own.