Frequently Asked Questions

On average, it takes three crew members about 4-6 hours to salt and 10-12 hours of round-the-clock coverage to plow one cycle of De Soto’s 112 lane miles; this is dependent on the intensity of the event, the temperatures, the number of cars parked in Emergency Snow Routes, and traffic. It can take several cycles to satisfactorily complete the entire operation.

The most beneficial thing you can do before a winter storm is move cars and other obstructions into your driveway. When driving near a plow, give them plenty of space to make turns around corners and intersections.

If your street hasn't been plowed despite the snow stopping at least twelve hours ago, it's likely because the snow plow can't fit through the space between cars parked on both sides. The plow blades are quite wide, at least 11 feet, and on narrow streets with cars double parked, the space is only around 8 feet. To help speed up the plowing, it's a good idea to move your cars and anything blocking the street into your driveway before a winter storm. This makes it easier for the plow to clear your street.

With the exception of emergency requests from sheriff dispatchers, individual requests for snow removal are only taken after all major operations have been completed. 

You can report the location of an icy/snowy street by submitting an online Snow Removal Request.

Snow plows can sometimes scrape yards or push heavy snow into mailboxes. Damages can be reported by submitting an online Citizen Request. 

Yard damage is logged and repaired in the Spring; if there’s mailbox damage, a temporary mailbox is installed within 48-72 hours after the storm and permanent repairs are made when comparable mailbox components are secured.

For a medical emergency, please call 911; a sheriff will assist and determine the need for a snow plow.

Snow windrows are piles of snow that accumulate at the end of driveways during plowing and are unavoidable. There is, however, a way to minimize the dreaded "second shovel": shovel in the direction of the traffic. In other words, while facing your driveway, clear out the right corner as much as possible and place the snow "downstream" to the left of the driveway (rather than upstream or in the street). This provides a place for the pushed snow to go other than in front of your driveway.