With the coming snowstorm, the Crookston Public Works Department is ready for another winter and more storms in the coming months and is starting with tomorrow’s winter storm.
With the forecast calling for potentially over a foot of snow over the next two days, Public Works is asking residents to drive slowly and use caution on the roads until the department is done plowing and sanding the roads. “We always ask residents to use caution because we don’t sand anything until we’re done plowing because if you sand the roads before you plow it, you just end up pushing it into the curbs anyway,” Public Works Director Brandon Carlson explained. “It takes us, on an average snowfall, about eight hours to clear the town, so if the storm lands like it appears as it might, I would hope that we would start plowing the roads by late Thursday night and through the night. Then through the night, hopefully, we can have everything cleared by the time people go to work on Friday morning.” Carlson also mentioned that there would be more machines available to help clear snow for future storms after November 21, as they have received a new motor grader and are currently preparing it for the rest of the winter to help plow the roads faster. Carlson said he will post on the city’s social media page about when the city will begin plowing the roads and requests that the residents do not push, shovel, or blow snow from their driveways or sidewalks out into the right of way. Also, not to pile snow on Highway 2 or in the downtown corridor to help the limited department staff. “People have some high expectations for snow removal sometimes, so we have to strategically plan when we start because we have a limited crew for the plows,” Carlson explained. “We don’t want to run them for more than 12 hours for safety reasons, so we try and strategically plan when we start, so we’re not having to run the crews ragged, and we’ll have to evaluate it as it gets closer here and see when we start.”
The department also asks for residents to be mindful, patient and to give the plows plenty of room to operate while they are clearing the roads, especially around corners, as in many instances, the drivers may not have clear sightlines when they stop or have to back up into traffic at intersections. Carlson also requested for residents who park on the sides of roads to either park in a driveway or park in different spots to help the plows clear the streets. “If you have room to park off-road, it’s best for everybody to be able to clear the full width of the roadway. If you can park in your driveway rather than having a couple of cars out on the street, it helps us keep the full width of the road open and if you do have a car on the road when we plow, if you could park in a different spot for a few days,” Carlson explained. “We usually come back around and clean up, so if you have to park on the street, try not to keep parking in the same spot. If we can come around later and clean to the curb line, that helps us out for the winter.”
