Protect your car while snow plows drive around town in winter

SIOUX CITY (KTIV) – While you’re out and about, you may see some snowplows clearing snow and ice from the roads. But how much snow has to fall before these plows hit the road?

Gridding vehicles start off first when there is minimal snow cover on the roads. These snow removal vehicles are used to spread a mixture of sand and salt on icy roads, breaking the bonds between ice and snow so that plows can remove them more easily.

Patrick Simons, Sioux City’s field manager, says once the snow begins to fall and settles, city trucks are dispatched to make the roads safe for drivers.

“All of our spreader trucks have plows, but we also have backup trucks. We send out the replacement trucks when it’s at least two inches, and when it’s less than two inches, we don’t just send out the plow trucks. If the distance is less than two inches, we can do practically everything we need, only with our gritting vehicles,” said Simons.

Simons says if you come across snow removal equipment on the road, give them some space so they can do their job to keep the roads safe for everyone.

As crews begin clearing snow from Sioux City streets, there are parking rules you should know.

Residents are asked to remove their vehicles from snow emergency routes until the snow is cleared. Vehicles may park on snow emergency routes when the following conditions are met: When plows have piled the snow in swaths after snow has been removed from the road and parking stalls, or when the snow emergency has been canceled.

Additionally, during a snowfall, residents should park on the odd-numbered side of the street on odd-numbered days of the month and on the even-numbered side of the street on even-numbered days.

Residents are encouraged to remove cars from on-street parking spaces where possible. For more information, visit the City of Sioux City website.

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