SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane is launching a full-city plow on Thursday as additional snowfall is expected through the afternoon.
Spokane had already seen a little more than two inches of snow as of 6 a.m. on Thursday and an additional two inches of snow is in the forecast through the afternoon. Eastbound I-90 was closed near Highway 2 for several hours on Thursday for a jack-knifed semi amid the winter driving conditions.
City of Spokane crews will work 24 hours a day, seven days a week until they plow all streets. Additional crews from water and wastewater departments will also be part of full-city plowing efforts. A full-city plow should take about three days to complete, the city said in a press release.
Crews are currently plowing arterials on Thursday morning and will move to residential areas in the evening beginning with hills. Plowing in downtown Spokane has not yet been scheduled, the city said.
The city has also a snowplow progress map available to view on its website. The green lines on the map mean snow removal status is complete, blue lines mean "working," red lines mean "next" and magenta lines mean "working/monitoring."
A map showing the plowing routes for residential areas in the City of Spokane is also available online.
The following is a list of maps to check plow progress in areas outside of the City of Spokane:
Driveway berms and sidewalk snow in Spokane
The City of Spokane's Street Department has outfitted 17 pieces of equipment with gates that allow plow drivers to avoid placing snow across driveways or alley access points.
These gates reduce driveway berms in residential areas, but they are still possible, especially on main roads that are frequently plowed.
Crews will plow away from the curb to help keep snow away from driveways and sidewalks. Snow may also be pushed to the center medians in some cases.
Parking in Spokane
Spokane residents are asked to park on the odd side of the street in residential areas for the snow season, which runs through March 15. Recreational vehicles, boats and trailers must be moved off the street to winter storage locations.
Announcements will be made to prohibit on-street parking in downtown Spokane from midnight to 6 a.m. when it snows, so parking bays can be plowed out. Vehicles parked during prohibited times are subject to towing.
Snow removal hotlines
Here is a list of snow removal hotlines in the Inland Northwest:
- Spokane: 311
- Spokane County: 509-477-2666.
- Coeur d'Alene: 208-769-22-33
Sidewalks
Property owners remain responsible for clearing the sidewalk adjacent to their properties. The city is asking citizens to clear a 36-inch path to allow people with disabilities, bus riders and other pedestrians to move safety through the community. The goal is to complete that work by 9 a.m. after a snowfall.
The City of Spokane will remove sidewalk snow adjacent to its properties, too.
Seniors or disabled individuals can call 311 to help get connected with volunteer services that may be able to help them with snow shoveling.