The City of Plymouth has received questions regarding the Jan. 22 snow storm that dropped between 7 inches and a foot of snow throughout the course of the day and evening. To help residents better understand the city’s snow plowing strategy, here are answers to some frequently asked questions below.

In this most recent snow event, why wait until midnight to plow?
City plows worked Monday from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. before the full city plow began at midnight.

To prepare for the incoming storm, plow drivers began pre-treating the roads at 6:30 a.m. Crews began plowing main roads and priority routes once snow began to fall in the morning – and continued plowing until 6 p.m. Unfortunately, at times the snow fell at such fast rates, roads were snow covered by the time drivers completed their circuits. Drivers then repeated the process. View the snow plow route map. (PDF)

After 12 hours of work, crews took a break around 6 p.m. Crews returned and began citywide plowing at midnight – at which time the snow was expected to subside. Since it takes 8 to 10 hours to plow the entire city, crews began plowing at midnight in order to have most of the city cleared before the morning commute.

Is Plymouth’s snowplow policy different than other cities?
The City of Plymouth’s snow plow policies and tactics are substantially aligned with other comparable Hennepin County cities. Plymouth is part of Hennepin County’s Public Works Emergency Management Service, in which cities share their preparations and plans for upcoming storms.

Note: Not all roadways in Plymouth are plowed by the city. Some streets are responsibility of the county (i.e. Rockford Road and County Road 101) and some are the responsibility of the Minnesota Department of Transportation (i.e. Highway 55 and Interstate 494).

When do you decide to plow?
Snow plow drivers pre-treat roads and plow main thoroughfares and priority routes during a snowfall, but continuous snowfall can mean that plowed streets quickly become buried again. If more than 2½ inches of snow falls, a snow emergency is declared and all city streets are plowed curb-to-curb. View the city’s snowplow policy.

It’s typically most effective to begin citywide plowing once the storm has subsided. Even with a crew of 50, in addition to contract plow drivers, it generally takes 8 to 10 hours after snow stops falling to clear Plymouth’s more than 300 miles of roads and 911 cul-de-sacs.

Don’t you need more snow plows?
City snow plow operators have other maintenance jobs working in the streets, parks and sewer and water divisions when they aren’t behind the plow. It’s a staffing and financial balancing act to size the crew to do the necessary plowing and have plenty of work for them at all other times of the year.

To strike a balance, the city complements its city snow plow operators, who mostly work in large city vehicles, with contract drivers who operate large contract plows and one-ton pickups with plows.

How can I minimize the snow that gets plowed in my driveway?
To minimize the amount of snow a plow moves into a driveway, residents should pile shoveled snow on the left side of the driveway (as they face the house) to avoid having the plow push it back onto the driveway.

Note: It is unlawful to shovel, plow or blow snow into the street. Blowing snow in the street makes it more difficult to clear streets, especially cul-de-sacs.