Missoula Snow Plows Focus On Priority Routes and Snow Drifts

Missoula is expected to get hit with lots of snow in the next couple of days. As a result, road conditions are going to deteriorate. Brian Hensel is the Deputy Public Works Director for Streets and he says the City Street Division has developed a Snow Removal Priority Plan to establish how each street is plowed.

“Those priority streets are not only the main routes with the most traffic, but they are also the bus routes and the streets on the hills with the steeper slopes,” Hensel said. “We try to get those done first. When we have these long enduring snow events, often times we will stay on our Priority 1 and Priority 2 routes until the snow stops.”

According to Hensel, drifting snow is making snow removal even more difficult than it already is.

“We are struggling with drifting snow in several places,” Hensel said. “The wind and the cold conditions present a different challenge than what we normally get, but so far so good. We have been knocking down the few drifts that we have been able to find. If people find other drifts that we missed, they should call the street division at 552-6360.”

If it is after hours, Hensel encourages residents to call 911 if snow drifts are blocking emergency services. He recommends that drivers slow down and give themselves more time to get to where they are going.