Cities continue snow plowing

COLUMBIA BASIN  — With the Columbia Basin digging out after the weekend snow storm, people may be wondering when their road will be plowed.

The following are the policies for Grant County and cities within the Columbia Basin:

Grant County

Grant County crews start plowing during normal business hours once the snow starts falling. The crews start on the major arterials, then go on to minor arterials with steep grades then other arterials. They then switch to rural and local access connectors and finish with dead-end rural and local access roads.

The county doesn’t plow gravel roads unless the snow is six inches deep. Emergency bus routes are a priority while school is in session.

They don’t plow after normal working hours, on weekends or holidays until there are three inches of snow. Otherwise they will start plowing as early as 6 a.m. the next business day. If there are high winds or blizzard conditions and drifting snow, they will start plowing when the wind subsides.

Crews will apply sand to intersections, steep grades and sharp curves once the snow stops falling. The county will call out crews to sand those areas on major arterials if there is more than one-eighth inch of freezing rain on the roads.

County equipment won’t extract stuck private vehicles except when a person needs immediate medical attention, or someone is exposed to severe weather without assistance.

Private lanes aren’t plowed.

For more information, contact Grant County Public Works at 509-754-6082

Ephrata

The city plows the main hills and primary streets first. Then crews remove the snow from the center of Basin Street. Depending on the depth, the city then plows residential streets.

The city’s plows start at the center of the street, so each side has the same amount of snow on it, according to city staff. They also advise people to slow down and allow extra time to get where they need to go.

People putting snow from their property into the street could be subject to a $1,000 fine. City staff stated putting snow into the street can slow down snow removal and creates a hazard for emergency crews and drivers.

For more information, contact Ephrata City Hall at 509-754-4601.

George

Wallace Bushman, the public works director, said he starts plowing when he thinks people can’t get around. He generally starts at about 5 a.m. if it snowed the night before.

“We’ve got one road grater, it takes me about three to four hours to get the entire city,” he said. 

Because it’s hard to turn the grater, he doesn’t work by a pattern beyond what is easiest to get to. Once he gets the roads done, he goes back to get the intersection.

“We do with what we got and get the job done,” he said.

Moses Lake

Moses Lake crews start plowing once there is two inches of snow on the arterial roads and four inches in the residential areas.  Depending on what the weather is going to be, they will also apply chemicals to break up ice.

Crews plow the arterial roads first and then start on the residential. It generally takes about 48 hours to get the residential areas. The city staff asked people to park their vehicles off of the road until the road is plowed, according to a public notice.

Crews continue to monitor the intersections for ice and snow build up. Gary Harer, the municipal services director, said the city will apply de-icer at those intersection if they become too bad.

On most streets, the crews plow from the center of the street towards the sides. On Third Avenue and Broadway crews plow towards the center of the street and pick up the snow afterwards.

Harer said they ask residents to not plow into the street, because it can get compacted and turn into ice.

“We just encourage everyone to plow it onto their private property and handle it that way,” he said.

Othello

Crews start plowing the streets once there is two inches of snow. They start on arterials and bus routes and then work on residential streets. Othello Public Works Municipal Services Coordinator Jay Van Ness said the crews can usually finish the entire town in about 8 to 10 hours. 

Quincy

The city starts plowing emergency routes first, followed by school bus routes, downtown and primary routes, then avenues and finishes with residential areas. According to the city’s ordinance on snow removal, the city tries to open roads for two lane traffic.

Crews generally work between 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. The city’s maintenance supervisor decides if plowing the roads is necessary, according to city records. Once the plowing is finished, intersections, hills and curves may have salt, sand or other abrasive materials placed on them.

People need to clean off the sidewalks in front of their homes within 24 hours of a storm. The city also requires the snow not be placed in the street. People who place snow on the street will be charged a penalty and asked to remove the snow within 24 hours. If they don’t they also will be charged the cost of having the city remove the snow.

Soap Lake

City crews start with main streets and then work on the residential areas when there is snow. They keep plowing until the work is done.

The city ordinances direct residents to keep the sidewalks in front of their houses clear of snow. Otherwise the city will remove the snow at the owner’s expense, according to the ordinance. If they don’t the resident could be fined.

If the snow isn’t removed the city will remove it at the owner’s expense. The charge will be due on the next water bill or within 30 days depending on whether the resident has a water bill during that time. 

Warden

City Administrator Mike Thompson said the city doesn’t have an official policy, but they generally start plowing at about 5 a.m. if the snow falls during the night.

Usually crews can hit the entire town within six to eight hours, he said. They start on main streets and bus routes and then head into residential areas. Once they finish the streets they apply sand and de-ice to steep hills and intersections.

“I usually have one public works guy who’s on call,” he said. “Usually he gets up at about three or four o’clock in the morning and if there’s snow, he’ll call the other guy.”

The city staff does ask local businesses to keep their sidewalks clear in front of their business, he said.

Wilson Creek

Mayor Kathy Bohnet said the city plows as needed. While they don’t have a set policy, she said city crews start on the main roads and clear out around the school.

“Keeping the route for buses open is a priority,” she said.

The city has a plow truck, which also puts down sand on the roads. The county handles the access roads for the city and the state handles the highways, she said.