Reno Snow Plows Ready For Action

Reno's Snow and Ice Control Plan is ready to go for the 2008/09 winter season. There are 22 trucks with sand spreaders and/or snow plows on hand to clear the streets. Two crews with a total of 53 drivers will operate the machinery when the snow flies. If it gets bad enough, contractors can be called in to assist.

If you are a new Truckee Meadows resident and haven't lived in a snow zone, you should know how the plan works. Overall, it's designed to maintain continued access to schools, hospitals, police stations, fire stations, and other critical locations. To do this, main routes and collector streets are cleared first. Residential streets are then plowed based on snow accumulation - the most snow gets first attention and so on. If the snow is measured in feet, like the big storm at the beginning of 2005, it can take many days for the plows to make the rounds. During that storm, the street I live on, which is only a block from McCarran Blvd., didn't get plowed for a week. Make sure you have a sturdy snow shovel - you'll have to clear your own driveway and sidewalks, and might have to dig a path onto the street as well. The Truckee Meadows Winter Preparedness Guide is an excellent resource for helping residents cope with what can be trying conditions during winter storms.

Once you leave the Reno city limits, other agencies are responsible for snow removal. The websites have plan details for the City of Sparks and Washoe County. For nearby areas such as the Sierra Nevada and Lake Tahoe, Safe Travel USA can give you winter highway conditions.

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