Snow Plowing 101 FAQ

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Below are answers to the most commonly asked snow plowing and winter road condition questions. Please look through these questions before calling. During storms, staff are often too busy to take the time to provide complete explanations. These answers will better inform you about snow removal policies and procedures.

Common Questions from Residents

Questions from residents

Why can't you plow my street now?

We wish we had enough snowplows and drivers to take care of every street right away, but our resources are limited and we must adhere to a carefully laid out system for clearing the streets. If we allowed our plows to be diverted each time a special request was made, our system would be destroyed and it would take far longer to get all the streets in the city cleared. To keep our snow removal operations as effective and efficient as possible, plows are not permitted to deviate from their assigned routes. Bus routes and arterial streets have first priority for snow plowing. Residential streets with hills of 2 percent grade or more are second priority. The remainder of the streets will then be plowed and are considered third priority. Please keep in mind, additional response time may be needed to clear cul-de-sacs since our plow trucks are unable to make many of the tighter turns, and endloaders with blades and buckets must be utilized to more efficiently clear the street.

The plow left some snow at the end of my driveway. Can you send someone to come and plow it out?

There are approximately 15,000+ driveways in the City of Iowa City. If we used all of our plows and spent just 60 seconds per driveway, it would take several days to clean driveways alone. The Streets Division crews do not come back and plow out any driveways.

Can you tell me exactly when my street will be plowed?

Under ideal circumstances, we can predict fairly accurately when we will have streets in various sections of the City plowed. As weather conditions change, we often must alter our snow-fighting strategy in the midst of the snow removal operations in order to control drifting snow, ice, or other special problems. We cannot give you an estimate of when your street will be cleared due to ever-changing weather conditions.

Why don't the trucks plow and salt on the way to their routes?

Each snowplow has an assigned route. If the trucks spread salt on their way to their destination, then they wouldn't have enough to spread along their own route. Plowing along the way would mean it would be just that much longer until the truck reached its assigned route.

Is there a reason you can't pile the snow on the medians instead of putting it on the sidewalks?

As we plow from curb-to-curb to provide for safe vehicular flow and mail delivery, snow may inadvertently fall onto the sidewalk. Unfortunately, there are a number of locations in the city where the park area is very narrow and the plowed snow covers the sidewalks. Some have suggested that the plows should go through these areas at a slower speed so the snow will not be thrown onto the sidewalks. However, the plows must maintain a certain speed in order to keep the snow from sticking onto the blades of the plow. We do not store the snow on medians because the snow can cause sight problems for traffic.

I'm having a party tonight. Can you be sure to plow in front of my house before my guests start arriving?

We wish we could comply with all requests, but equipment and manpower limitations do not permit us to deviate from our predetermined snow plowing system.

I have a heart condition. Can you plow my street in case there is an emergency and an ambulance needs to get through?

The potential for a medical emergency does not warrant priority treatment. Anyone needing an ambulance in a medical emergency should contact the Police Department where all necessary steps will be coordinated.

Why hasn't my street been cleared?

The following streets can be difficult to clear snow from due to vehicles being parked on both sides. Some streets will be skipped until cars are moved so that plows can safely maneuver.
- Alpine Court
- Amber Lane
- Arbury Drive
- Bancroft Drive
- Bartelt Road
- Briar Drive
- Brookland Park Drive
- Buresh Avenue
- Catskill Court
- Chadwick Lane
- Chestnut Court
- Clark Street
- College Street
- Crestview Avenue
- Dearborn Street
- Dodge Street
- Dolan Place
- Dover Street, north of Muscatine Avenue
- Eastwood Drive
- Evans Street, 100 block
- Flatiron Avenue
- G Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues
- Gleason Avenue
- Gleason Drive
- Governor Street
- Grant Street
- Grantwood Drive
- Gryn Drive
- Hollywood Boulevard at 1100 block
- Indigo Court
- Iowa Avenue
- Jefferson Street
- Johnson Street
- Longfellow Court
- Lucas Street
- Market Street at 1000 block between Evans Street and Clapp Street
- Melrose Place
- Nevada Avenue, south of Lakeside Drive
- North Summit Street
- Oakland Avenue
- Oaklawn Avenue
- Page Street
- Palmer Circle
- Penfro Drive
- Pepper Drive
- Primrose Court
- Raven Street
- Regal Lane
- Roberts Road
- Sandusky Drive
- Scott Park Drive
- Shamrock Drive
- South Jamie Lane
- St. Anne's Drive
- Sterling Court
- Sterling Drive
- Summit Street
- Tracy Lane
- Valley Avenue
- Van Buren Street
- Wales Street
- Warwick Circle
- Washington Street
- Wylde Green Road

Snow plow operations

Why don't you use the big trucks to plow out cul-de-sacs?

The varying sizes of cul-de-sacs present plowing problems ranging from difficult to impossible. A plow can easily cut an 11-foot path through the snow on a straight road surface, but trying to plow and turn the blade within a small circle in a cul-de-sac is very difficult. Therefore, endloaders with blades and buckets are used to plow most cul-de-sacs more efficiently than the large trucks. However, there are not enough endloader units for each route. The units are shared by adjoining routes as necessary. This will result in longer response times on cul-de-sacs.

Why do you sometimes salt instead of plow, or plow instead of salt?

Different types of storms require the use of different snow-fighting techniques. The decision whether to salt or plow depends upon the expected weather conditions. For example, if the temperature is below 20 degrees and not expected to rise, salt will not be effective. But if the sun is shining and the temperature is 20 degrees or more and expected to remain steady or to rise, then salt would be more effective. The decision whether to plow or salt is made with great consideration and based on the latest weather information available. Plowing under the wrong conditions can create a polished street surface, resulting in dangerous glare ice. The decisions made by an experienced crew and supervisory personnel are critical.

I once saw a snow plow parked in a restaurant parking lot during a bad snowstorm. Why was it there instead of on the streets working?

Snow plow operators take pride in clearing the streets on their routes as quickly and thoroughly as possible. Driving a snowplow is demanding, tiring work. Common sense and good safety practices dictate that each driver should take a 30-minute break every six hours. It is dangerous, both for the snowplow driver and the public, if a fatigued driver is behind the wheel of a snowplow. It is in the best interest of all concerned for the drivers to take occasional breaks.

Why do snow plow trucks sometimes just ride around when it's not snowing?

There are three reasons you might see plows on the streets on snowless days. One is that every driver undergoes pre-season training. Skills must be sharpened and routes need to be learned and relearned. The second reason is that the trucks may be scanning the city for secondary cleaning (cleaning the streets where vehicles were parked during the plowing of the streets). The third reason is that the trucks can be sanding main break areas that are out of their view, or other problem areas.

Salt corrodes my car, sidewalk and drive. Couldn't you use cinders instead?

We don't use cinders because they don't work in all situations. On a hard surfaces like ice covered and snow packed roads, cinders will either bounce off or be kicked out by traffic. Sand/salt mix will remain a snow-fighting tool until a more cost-efficient and effective material is developed. The normal chemical/abrasive mixture the City uses is one part salt to four parts sand.

When I called the Streets Division number to find out about road conditions, the line was busy.

Our telephone lines are understandably jammed during severe weather conditions. We advise limiting your travel or staying off the roads entirely, if possible. Listen to television and radio bulletins about road conditions. Remember that we can only provide information about streets within the city limits. Our phonelines should be used primarily to alert us if a street has been missed or if there is some special problem relating to snow removal operations.

Who is responsible for plowing the county and state roads?

Riverside Drive, Highway 6, Highway 1 and Highway 218 are plowed by the Iowa Department of Transportation. The maintenance garage is located at Oakdale.

For information on County and State Road Conditions, call 319-626-2386. To report County and State Road Problems, call 319-356-6020.

Parking/vehicles

When is parking prohibited on city streets?

The Central Business District is signed for no parking between 2 and 6 a.m. year round for street cleaning, and this includes snow removal. Other streets near the downtown area are posted for no parking 48 hours in advance for cleaning. Any vehicles remaining on the streets after the 48 hours notice will be towed. There is a general prohibition against parking a vehicle on-street for 48 or more hours without moving the vehicle. Vehicles may be ticketed more frequently during winter months to ensure that plows are able to plow streets adequately. Anyone leaving town for an extended time (holidays, Spring break) should find suitable off-street parking to avoid ticketing and towing.

During a declared snow emergency, parking is restricted to alternate side of street corresponding to odd/even dates of the calendar.

What should I do if my vehicle was ticketed and towed for being illegally parked on the street during snow removal operations?

The Police Department coordinates all towing operations. If you find that your vehicle has been towed, contact the Police Department at 319-356-5275.

Businesses

I own a business downtown. How are streets plowed in the Central Business District?

Streets and alleys in the Central Business District are treated separately from other snow and ice control operations because snow storage within the street and alley rights-of-way is not desirable. Snow removal is normally accomplished by melting with chemicals or by hauling the snow from the area. Snow plowing procedures are utilized only to the extent that storage of snow along the traveled portion of the roadway will not inhibit vehicle movement in and out of parking stalls.

When snow removal operations begin, streets and alleys in and near the central business area are sanded and salted. Snow is not hauled from the area unless there is an accumulation and the temperature is too low for the sand and salt application to effectively melt the snow. Snow is not hauled from the Central Business District during the day unless the streets and alleys become impassable. Snow hauling operations normally commence during night-time hours only when the storm has subsided. If it is snowing at 9 p.m., streets are passable, and snow is predicted to continue falling throughout the night, snow hauling operations will not normally begin until the following evening.

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Snow Plowing 101 FAQ

Common Questions from Residents