Knowledge Base

December 13, 2024 – ROCHESTER, MINN. – The City of Rochester’s Public Works Department operates a fleet of snowplows that works to clear over 458 miles of roads, 10.5 miles of alleys, 650 cul-de-sacs, as well as 40 miles of sidewalks and bike paths within Rochester’s city limits. This is no easy task; it requires a balance of safety, economics, timing and expectations. Effective snow removal creates safer roads for the traveling public and provides access for emergency vehicles during the winter snow and ice season.

Prioritization of snow removal operations increases efficiency and provides a systematic approach to snow removal throughout the City of Rochester. Streets in Rochester are categorized as follows:

• Priority 1—Arterial and collector roads: These are high-traffic main roadways with a high traffic volume and a higher probability of accidents. They are also critical for providing access to emergency services.
• Priority 2—Local roads, transit routes, schools and hills: These are the main residential through-streets that lead to arterial and collector roads. They also include city transit routes, steep hills and areas around schools.
• Priority 3 - Cul-de-sac streets, alleys and dead ends: These streets have the lowest traffic volume.

The amount of time it takes to clear streets depends on the amount of snow the city receives:

• Small snow events (less than 2" of snow) typically take 8 hours to clear. In these events, Priority 1 & 2 roads are cleared. A partial crew operating 23 plow trucks, 2-3 pick-up trucks and 2 sidewalk machines works to clear small snow events. Plows are typically not sent out a second day to clear the alternate side for snowfalls 1” or less.
• Large snow events (more than 4" of snow) typically take 12 hours to clear. Priority 1 & 2 roads are a priority to clear during large snow events. Priority 3 roads are cleared after the snow event ends. This requires a full crew operating 28 plow trucks, 4 graders, 5 loaders, 4 one-ton trucks to clear cul-de-sacs, 2-3 pick-up trucks and 2 sidewalk machines. The day after the initial snowfall, crews will be sent out to clear the alternate side of the street, typically in 8 hours.
• Snow removal from the Central Business District (CBD) is necessary after individual snowfalls of more than 3" or after multiple smaller snowfalls. This work is done once all other streets have been cleared to their full width and typically takes 2-4 days to complete, depending on accumulation.

The use of salt and sand on city streets

Excessive salt use can have major environmental impacts. Deicing chemicals not only have detrimental effects on grass, trees and landscape vegetation but are also carried away by stormwater runoff and can become a permanent pollutant in our water bodies and drinking water. It only takes one teaspoon of salt to contaminate five gallons of water.

To avoid over-applying deicing chemicals, all plow trucks used for snow and ice fighting are outfitted with calibrated computers that control the amount of materials placed on each roadway during the various types of winter events. Our standard practice is to use deicing chemicals on main roads, transit/school routes, steep hills, curves, and in the central business district. Deicing products are used sparingly on all other low-volume streets, typically only at intersections.

Salt or salt brine is used when pavement temperatures are above 15°F. When pavement temperatures fall below 15°F, the effectiveness of salt is dramatically reduced. During these times, our crews will revert to using a mix of sand and salt to treat roadways. Utilizing salt-sand during the winter months also has its implications; it not only gets washed into our water bodies during runoff events, but it is very expensive to clean up in the springtime.

How can the public improve the efficiency of snow removal operations?

Residents in Rochester can increase the efficiency and reduce the duration it takes to remove snow after snow events by following these guidelines:

• Abide by the seasonal parking requirements. Seasonal parking requirements are in effect city-wide from November 1 to April 1 from 2 a.m. to 3 p.m. Vehicles parked on city streets and in cul-de-sacs must follow alternate side parking requirements as well as signs with posted parking restrictions. The public is encouraged to use off-street parking whenever possible as this allows plows to move as much snow as possible from both sides of the street, regardless of alternate side parking.
• It is important to note that even with alternate side parking in place, plows will clear both sides of the roadway, navigating around parked cars as necessary. The following day, cars should be parked on the opposite, cleared side of the street to allow plows to move any remaining snow from the alternate side.
• Drive cautiously and adjust to conditions. While the safety of the motoring public is at the forefront of snow removal operations, driver responsibility is essential when navigating public roadways during the winter months. During and immediately after a winter storm, the reasonable speeds motorists can travel will be lower than the posted speed limit. As such, motorists can expect some inconvenience and will need to factor in additional time to reach their destination safely. While main roads may be cleared to bare pavement, this is neither feasible nor necessary on lower-volume and residential streets.
• Place garbage and recycling containers in your driveway or the boulevard on pick-up days. It is against Rochester Code of Ordinance Section 12-10-3 to place bins in the street. Bins placed in the street create additional obstacles for the snowplow drivers. Drivers must plow around the obstacles, leaving snow farther out in the street in front of the driveway, causing more shoveling for the homeowner and potentially resulting in bins getting knocked over.
• Residents are responsible for snow clearance in front of their mailboxes.  Snow plows aim to get within 2 ft of mailboxes, but residents are responsible for final snow clearance as necessary to allow USPS to deliver mail.
• Refrain from pushing or blowing snow into or across the City Right of Way. The City of Rochester would like to caution residents that it is unlawful to blow, plow, or push snow from private driveways/parking lots into the street. Under Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 160.2715, violation of the mentioned statute is a misdemeanor.
• Direct snow from your driveway and the sidewalk towards your yard rather than the boulevard or street. By pushing snow into your yard, you leave more room in the boulevard for snow storage from street plowing.

More information about snow and ice control, as well as other winter-related topics, can be found at rochestermn.gov/winter