Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

City, county road crews focus on snow removal after windstorm

Street crews that have spent much of the past few weeks clearing roads of downed trees and power lines have shifted their focus to snow as winter operations ramp up.

Spokane County has spent about $600,000 cleaning up after the recent windstorm and washouts from flooding in June, said Bob Keneally, maintenance and operations manager for the county’s Roads Department.

“That comes right out of our budget,” said Keneally. The money spent to clean up after those storms has already partially depleted the $3.5 million the county has set aside for snow removal.

The county and cities of Spokane and Spokane Valley have all begun to shift work to prepare for the snowy season. A little more than an inch and a half of snow has fallen at Spokane International Airport this year, according to the National Weather Service, and crews are sticking to familiar prioritization plans this year for clearing streets.

All jurisdictions clear major arterial routes first, then move to hilly areas and finally flat residential neighborhoods. The city of Spokane asks residents to move their cars to the odd side of the street to facilitate plowing when snow accumulation rises above 2 inches.

“We also ask them to clear around their property, the sidewalks and stuff like that,” Andy Schenk, the city’s principal engineer in the Streets Department, told the City Council this week.

When 6 inches have fallen, the city will declare a stage-two snow event and potentially bring in contracted plows to clear streets, Schenk said. Residents can call (509) 625-7737 to receive updated information on road clearing.

City crews also will be testing a GPS system on one of their de-icer trucks this year, and different brands of de-icers will be tested after questions arose about the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) present in the city’s product this year, said Julie Happy, a city spokeswoman.

“There’s no perfect product,” she said, noting there were only “trace amounts” of the contaminant in the city’s de-icer, well below environmental rules. “We want to use the best product that keeps our residents safe and our river clean.”

County crews contend with hilly residential roads, many paved with gravel that can take longer to treat, said Bryan Dowd, a roads supervisor who oversees 26 employees in the northern reaches of Spokane County.

“We try to out-think Mother Nature and stay on top of it,” Dowd said.

Dowd’s crews have to battle residential roads in the high country, which can ice over quickly, he said.

“Sand only stays on ice for about three minutes once traffic starts coming through,” said Dowd, who drove a grader for the county for about 20 years.

The county switches to 24-hour crew coverage when major snow hits. Residents can check on the location of trucks by visiting the county engineer’s website, or directly at snowplowing.spokanecounty.org.

Keneally urged motorists to remain 50 feet behind Spokane County snow removal equipment and to never pass trucks on the right.

Spokane Valley residents can sign up for emailed alerts at spokanevalley.org/signup. Information during snowy weather is also available by calling (509) 720-5311.

City law requires Spokane Valley residents to remove ice and snow from a public sidewalk “within a reasonable time” or face a fine of up to $500. Those facing hardship clearing their sidewalks should call the community helpline at 211.