Hawkeye Reporter

Blizzard conditions are set to descend on Des Moines over the next 48 hours and Public Works Director Jonathan Gano is urging patience and caution through the storm.

"The cold conditions and blowing snow are going to combine to make it difficult to keep our roads clear,” Gano said. “We will be plowing every street in Des Moines but we’ll be staying on the snow routes to keep our major roadways clear until the snow stops falling."

Public Works’ snow removal fleet is ready to roll when snow starts accumulating on Des Moines’ 750 miles of snow routes. Employees from the Public Works, Wastewater Reclamation Authority and Parks and Recreation Departments will be plowing snow routes continuously as snow falls.Once snowfall ends, the 100 pieces of snow removal equipment will be assigned to residential streets, which should be cleared within 24 hours of the end of snowfall.

The forecasted bitterly cold temperatures also led to a decision to extend the deadline for residents to clear the sidewalks adjacent to their properties. After most snowstorms, residents have 48 hours to clear sidewalks, but Gano has extended the deadline to four days after snowfall stops this week. That puts the deadline for clearing sidewalks from this snowstorm at 6 a.m. on Monday, December 26.

“We don’t want people to risk dangerous exposure in this storm if they don’t have to,” Gano said.

Residents will have 96 hours after the snow stops to clear their sidewalks before they could become subject to administrative penalties of at least $75 that increase with repeated violations.

With any snow storm this season, Des Moines visitors and residents can stay prepared for winter weather at DMSnow.org or by following @dmdpw on Twitter and Des Moines Public Works on Facebook. Residents can also sign up for snow removal updates by texting “SNOW” to 515-355-8815 or “ODDSNOW” to 515-355-8815 for Odd / Even Neighborhood parking updates.

Low-income seniors and disabled persons unable to remove their snow due to physical and/or financial constraints are encouraged to contact United Way 2-1-1 to locate snow removal assistance available to private property owners in Des Moines.

If there are any questions about City snow removal, residents are encouraged to call the 24/7 Public Works Customer Service Center at 515-283-4950.

Original source can be found here.