City Crews and Citizens Work Together to Clear Nearly Two Feet of Snow

City of Duluth snowplow operators have been working since early Christmas Eve trying to keep the roads in driving condition. Depending on which part of Duluth you live you may have experienced anywhere from 10-24 inches of heavy wet snow. Removing the snow from over 400 miles of streets is now the city’s top priority.

There are a total of 38 snow plow routes with each route containing 60 streets each including some main arteries, residential streets and alleys in that vicinity. All plow route mileages are an average of 50 miles each. It took operators on average 4 hours to plow main streets, which always are top priority. In some areas during the storm the snow was so deep it went well over the plow blade forcing operators to more slowly across city streets.

After city streets are cleared crews will focus their efforts in clearing the city sidewalks which will be difficult due to the freezing of the wet snow. It may take up to three weeks to clear all of the sidewalks due to additional snow which is forecasted for later this week.

We apologize for any blocked sidewalks or driveways due to our efforts to keep the streets safe to drive.

We ask citizens to follow a few snow recommendations:

• Please remember it is illegal to remove snow from your property and place it in city streets and alleys.
• Please help out your neighbors that are having difficulty removing this snow.
• People who park on the street should be extra diligent to follow these ordinances; no closer than 7 feet to alleys or driveways, must park with 12 inches of the curb and parking or partially blocking driving lanes will result in a ticket and the car will be towed.

For additional snow related information please go to www.duluthmn.gov Winter Watch.

If you have a snow related issue to report please call 730-5100 (answered during normal business hours)

We will continue to our best to keep our city streets clear of snow and safe for travel.