Snow and Ice Removal

View snow removal priority map

City Snow Removal Policy

During and after all winter storms, please allow extra travel time as you may encounter varying roadway conditions especially on side streets with lower traffic volumes.

City crews do not clear sidewalks in front of residents’ homes. If you want your sidewalk cleared of snow, you will need to make your own arrangements to get this done.

When clearing your driveway it is better to pile snow on the left side of your driveway when facing your home. Large piles of snow on the right side of the driveway prevent snow plows from depositing the windrowed snow until the plow reaches your driveway opening and will result in a larger snow windrow across your driveway.

City of Montgomery snow removal personnel cannot clear snow from driveways or across driveway openings. This is the responsibility of the property owner.

Main Roads First Priority

During periods of heavy snowfall or falling temperatures, the city will begin snow plowing. Plowing requires additional time to complete and in some instances of heavy snowfall, city crews may repeat plowing efforts on arterial and collector roads to keep these higher volume roadways clear and passable throughout winter storms. Snow plowing does result in a windrow of snow deposited alongside roadways and across driveway openings. Streets are de-iced or plowed in the order of traffic volumes and posted speed limits. Arterial roads are the first roads deiced and plowed. Arterial roads include:

Collector roads providing connections between subdivisions and the main roads are completed next. Examples of collector roads include:

After these higher traffic volume roadways are cleared snow removal then moves into subdivisions focusing first on through streets with lower traffic volumes and culminates with snow removal on cul-de-sac and other non-through roadways.

On Street Parking Inhibits Plowing Efforts

Parked cars along city streets often prevent a thorough clearing of streets particularly when plowing is necessary. Snow removal trucks are able to move and complete thorough plowing if they do not have to maneuver around parked cars.

Snow Emergency Declarations

A snow emergency may be declared by the City of Montgomery if a snowstorm results in greater than 1.5 inches of accumulated snowfall. Additionally when a City of Montgomery snow emergency is declared parking is prohibited on all city streets until snow removal is completed. Information regarding snow emergency declarations is provided to major television and radio stations and is also posted on the city website.

Other items, such as portable basketball hoops can also create big problems for snow plow operators. These items are actually prohibited from being placed in the public right of way at all times, however not all residents observe this rule and this has created problems for our snow plow operators in the past.  So, particularly during snow emergencies, make sure that not only your cars are removed from the roadways, but that any other portable structures are also out of the way to avoid damage both to our equipment and your property.

Salt Utilized for Roadway De-icing

The City of Montgomery utilizes rock salt to keep snow and ice from bonding to roadways during most winter storms. On those occasions when temperatures are forecast to drop below 22 degrees during snow storms rock salt is combined with calcium chloride to increase the melting properties of the rock salt to lower temperatures. As temperatures drop into single digits or below zero all deicing materials rapidly lose effectiveness to melt snow and ice. As a result, if a major winter storm is followed by rapidly falling temperatures some roads may remain partially or completely covered with packed snow.

Be Careful Where You Pile Shoveled Snow

Snow plowing will result in a windrow of snow deposited alongside the roadway and across driveways. Please do not plow or shovel snow from driveways onto, or across, public streets, Snow removed from private property onto public streets can cause icing conditions on streets that have already been salted and plowed.