Pullman, Moscow brace for onslaught of snowy weather

MOSCOW — December is the time for city snowplows to hit the road to keep the arterials clear of snow and ice, often in the odd hours of the night and morning.

The city of Pullman announced it is extending its snowplow services this week in anticipation of the snowy weather. A team of 12 drivers are regularly scheduled to work, with three others ready to help if needed, Pullman Maintenance Supervisor Brian Druffel said.

Moscow and its 20 regular drivers will work 24 hours during heavy snowfall if needed, said Tyler Palmer, deputy director for the Moscow Streets Division. Palmer said it is not just Moscow street workers behind the wheel, but public works employees from the water and fleet division, as well as seasonal drivers the city hires each year.

“Snowplowing is really an all-hands-on-deck operation,” Palmer said.

Druffel said drivers are usually already on the road before the snow hits, putting de-icer and sand aggregate on the asphalt. When the snow accumulates enough that the plow’s blades are not damaging the road, they go to work.

Art Garro, Pullman maintenance superintendent, said after the roads are clear, city vehicles begin the process of sweeping the aggregate off the roads.

“It’s a never-ending cycle,” he said.

Both cities use technology to monitor the weather closely. Palmer said his staff checks temperatures, forecast temperatures, precipitation and the timing of precipitation to determine when to work on the roads.

He said generally the snowplows will start clearing the busiest streets — the priority streets — when 1 inch to 2½ inches accumulates, then try to tackle the secondary streets and cul-de-sacs when more than 2½ inches are on the ground.

Garro said his department’s main focus is keeping the priority streets and bus routes safe, a list of which can be found on the Pullman city website. Garro said crews will head out to residential streets only after these routes are clear.

Both cities use snow gates on their plows, which help direct the snow away from the front of residents’ driveways and mailboxes. But both Garro and Palmer said using snow gates is not a perfect science. Sometimes in the process of navigating difficult, slippery roadways drivers may unintentionally plow snow where residents do not want it. Palmer urges residents to be understanding of this challenge and not to take it personally.

“Some people feel like there’s a personal vendetta,” he said. “There’s certainly not.”

Palmer also encourages people to avoid shoveling or blowing snow from their property onto the roadway, as this can be disruptive to the snowplows and cause the formation of a bigger berm on the road.

Druffel urges other motorists on the road to equip their vehicles with snow tires, slow down when conditions are bad and give themselves more time to travel.

He said one of the biggest concerns is not the snow and ice itself — the equipment can handle those challenges. Rather, it’s the unforeseen problems caused by other vehicles on the road.

“If there was no one on the roads, that would be a lot easier, but that’s not possible,” he said.

Druffel said plow drivers take pride in taking on the challenges of their work, and Garro commended the drivers for their skill and professionalism in navigating narrow roadways, often made narrower by cars parked on the street.

“It’s a real eye-opener to see what these guys do every night,” he said.

Palmer said what the snowplow drivers do every night is a necessary duty that not only keeps the city safe, but keeps its economy from shutting down.

“Our drivers really understand the important role they play in the community,” he said.

Kuipers can be reached at (208) 883-4640 or akuipers@dnews.com.