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We’re conducting a snow plow practice run this week. Here’s how you can prepare for winter.

SDOT snow plows at the ready to respond to winter storms. Photo credit: SDOT.

We are ready to respond to winter storms. On Thursday, November 3, we will hold a snow plow training exercise to test equipment and ensure that snow plow drivers are familiar with their routes. This training exercise is one example of the work that occurs year-round to prepare for winter storms and keep crew members in good practice.

We monitor weather conditions 24/7 and will pre-treat major roads before it begins to snow to prevent ice from forming. If snow begins to fall, crews will work 24 hours per day to clear Seattle’s most critical streets for buses and emergency services. Crew members from Seattle Public Utilities and Seattle Parks and Recreation are also trained to drive snow response vehicles and ready to help.

A Seattle Department of Transportation snow plow driver works to clear Broadway E, a major arterial in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood during a previous snow storm in Seattle. The truck plows snow along the street with large buildings in the background.
A Seattle Department of Transportation snow plow driver works to clear Broadway E, a major arterial in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood during a previous snow storm in Seattle. Photo credit: SDOT.

We prioritize plowing over 1,000 miles of Seattle’s most critical routes to hospitals, schools, emergency services, and shelters. As hard as our crews work, it may take up to 12 hours after a break in the storm to clear all these roads.

You can count on us to clear major streets, but crews can’t be everywhere at once. It is everyone’s responsibility to clear ice and snow from the sidewalks around their homes and businesses to keep communities safe. It’s not just the law; it’s the right thing to do so that people of all ages and abilities can travel safely following a snowstorm if it becomes necessary.

Our crews work to clear and treat sidewalks and curb ramps in Seattle during a previous snow storm. Two people shovel ice and spread anti-ice material along the sidewalk and curb ramps.
Our crews work to clear and treat sidewalks and curb ramps in Seattle during a previous snow storm. Photo credit: SDOT.

As City workers prepare for snow, we are asking the public to help get ready too:

  • View a map to see Seattle’s snow plow routes. During snow events, use this online Winter Weather Response Map to see real-time updates about road conditions and which roads we have recently plowed.
  • Talk to your neighbors to see who may need help during a storm. Make a community plan to ensure that all the sidewalks on the block get shoveled. Make sure you have a shovel and salt ready or know who to ask if you need a helping hand.
  • Visit the SDOT Winter Weather webpage for more information about how to get around safely when it snows. Visit MetroWinter.com for King County Metro transit updates.
  • View this SDOT Blog post to learn more about how you and your neighbors can prepare for snow.

For more information and printable copies of our Winter Weather flyer, visit www.seattle.gov/transportation/winter-weather.


Seattle Snow Plow Routes Map. Gold routes show locations where we aim to clear all travel lanes of snow and ice. Emerald routes show where we aim to clear one travel lane in each direction of snow and ice.
Seattle Snow Plow Routes Map. Graphic credit: SDOT