November 20, 2024 - Plowing Update
posted
Forecasts show that the first snowstorm of the season will arrive shortly before the morning commute, with snow possibly beginning around 6am. Be prepared for slushy and slippery travel due to wet snow falling quickly onto warmer pavement. Be slow, patient, and alert. Give yourself plenty of extra time to get to your destinations safely.
The Streets Division will have 32 plows dispatched to the salt routes. These trucks will be plowing and dispensing salt as needed to these roads. “Salt routes” are the 782 miles of traffic lanes that make up the main thoroughfares of our city. These are the Madison Metro bus routes, roads around schools and hospitals, and other important roads.
All roadway users should expect slushy and greasy conditions in the morning due to the combination of wet snow falling quickly onto pavement that is at or slightly above freezing. This is a difficult pairing we have seen multiple times in the past few years. Be prepared for challenges. Plows will be dispatched, however when fresh snow falls quickly onto warm pavement, oftentimes difficult travel conditions still form. Places cleared once by plows will be covered over again with melty, slippery snow until the plow can loop through their route again.
As you make your way through the city, remember to make good choices. Do not follow people too closely. Anticipate your stops and turns.
Remember that 4-wheel drive, and all-wheel drive vehicles, will still slide during slippery conditions. These types of vehicles help provide you extra traction to get going, but they do not help you stop when conditions are slick. You have to drive slowly. You have to be alert.
As a reminder, non-salt routes areas are only plowed when three or more inches of snow has accumulated on the roads and the storm is at or near its end. Also, these residential and low-traffic roads are not salted. This storm is not expected to produce conditions that would trigger these residential areas to be plowed.
When you are traveling on these residential, non-salt route area in the morning, expect them to be covered with snow and slippery.
The storm will change to rain by the afternoon, and the snow will likely melt off quickly.
Leaf collection operations will continue as scheduled with this minor winter storm. While this will cause disruptions to the ongoing collections as staff will be reassigned to help with snow duties, it will not cause us to cancel the remaining scheduled set-out date or completely stop the ongoing pickup.
Streets Division staff will be monitoring the roads and the weather. Operations will adjust should conditions require it, and updates will be provided.
