The City of Duluth gives update on plowing amidst winter storm

UPDATE: The City of Duluth provided another update at 8 PM. While the City of Duluth Street Maintenence crews are largely on a rest break, there will be a few working overnight to clear Priority 1 roadways. The full fleet will be back at 2 AM to finish cleaning up the snow and ice from roadways.

ORIGINAL:
The City of Duluth says their plows will take the rest of Wednesday’s snow at 6:00 PM, with reduced staffing staying through the overnight. Full-fleet plow operations will resume at 2:00 AM Thursday to continue storm clean-up.

The City says their full fleet of 23 plows was out at 2:00 AM clearing Priority 1 roadways while working through some Priority 2 roadways throughout the morning and afternoon.

For the City of Duluth’s snow and ice policy and how roads are prioritized click here.

The City also mentioned the difficulty that comes with spring snow storms.

“Spring snow events are always tricky due to a number of factors, including moisture content and variability of snowfall across our region. Additionally, gravel and dirt roadways are especially vulnerable during the spring months due to frost heaving out of the ground. Because of the softer state of these roadways and alleys, Street Maintenance operations must treat those surfaces with a softer touch; this may include either raising the snowplow blades up an inch or so to keep contact with the surface at a minimum to prevent damaging the gravel surface.”