Snow Plow Sal / Winter Operations

Winter Operations

The DPW has developed a comprehensive plan to mitigate issues that arise on Hamilton's roadways during periods of inclement weather. Depending on the severity and duration of the period of inclement weather, several roadway treatment methods may be utilized. These methods include: pre-storm brining of roadways, salting of roadways, and plowing of roadways.

Snow Plow Sal

Main road ways are plowed when snowfall is greater than 2 inches. The primary roads are plowed curb to curb and treated with salt early during the storm. As a result, when the storm has ended, those roads are black and bare to pavement very quickly.

We do not enter the secondary roads to plow them until after snowfall has ended. Secondary roadways will be plowed when snowfall is greater than 4 inches.  Secondary roads are plowed with one pass in and one pass out and are plowed in about 24 hours if everything goes right. Often there is going to be snow packed and bonded to the roadway after we plow. We apply de-icing chemicals (salt) to the snow pack which with the help of the sun melts the snow and gets us to bare pavement. All residents who reside on a secondary road should be able to drive from their home to a primary road without difficulty providing they exercise caution.

We utilize a Geographical Information System that includes an Automated Vehicle Location System. We can instantly locate all vehicles in our winter operations fleet to track progress.  Snow Plow Sal is now available in a 2D Portal or a 3D Portal.

Help Us Help You

When snow plows are deployed to clear roadways of snow, please refer to this Useful Guide (PDF) for clearing snow from your driveway apron. By following this method, you can help reduce the amount of snow plowed back into a cleared apron.

Please note: Additional information will be posted in advance of engaging in Winter Operations, including information regarding potential snowfall, the activation of Snow Plow Sal, and other pertinent information.

Learn More

Check out our helpful FAQs Knowledge Base to answer some questions you may have about our snow removal process.