WASHINGTON- With more snow in the forecast in the Tri-Cities and the Yakima Valley, multiple cities are gearing up the snowplows to prepare and clear the roads of snow and ice.
Evelyn Lusignan, a spokesperson for the City of Kennewick, says most Public Works departments will monitor forecasts to begin laying down mixtures of salt, sand and snowmelt 12 hours before the first snow falls.
She adds that for most Central Washington cities, snowplows will first hit main arterial streets that get a lot of traffic first, before moving to school zones and then to streets on steep slopes that can cause sliding hazards.
That means it could be a while before you see snowplows go past your home.
“Our focus is on safety, making sure we have good access for our public safety vehicles and then residential streets,” says Lusignan. “We do get to them as we can, especially in a long event it could be several days, so we ask for everyone’s patience.”
The city says snowplow crews are in place overnight to make sure when the snow is at the point of needing to be removed, they are already prepared to go.
Lusignan reminds residents that while cities will manage the roads, sidewalks are a different story.
“The sidewalks are the responsibility of the adjacent property owner,” says Lusignan. “So, making sure the sidewalks have ice melt and are being shoveled frequently so that people aren’t slipping and sliding on sidewalks.”
The prep-work for the snow season is done year-round, but the City of Richland’s website says in October, equipment is calibrated, inventory is stocked and maps are drawn out to prepare for the storms to come.
When plows do come through residential areas, it’s possible for snow to be kicked back into an area you may have already plowed. Pasco’s Snow and Ice Control FAQ’s website says the alternative of plowing to the center of the road can cause problems down the line.
“The freeze-thaw cycle creates a bigger challenge when the melting snow freezes on the road surface during the evening,” reads the website. “Traffic flow is restricted by eliminating a portion of a driving lane, and it creates sight obstructions for low ground clearance vehicles.”
The City of Yakima echos Lusignan’s comments on clearing sidewalks, saying “The best time to shovel snow is immediately after it falls and before ice can begin to form. After you clear the sidewalk of snow, you may choose to apply an ice-melting substance.”
