The City of Salina is explaining its snow removal strategy.

According to the City, on January 4th and 5th, 2025, Salina experienced one of the largest snowfall events in its history. Records indicate that it has been 63 years since Salina received this much snow from a single event.

Here is how the City responded to the event:

• Prior to the storm, the City pre-treated City streets with chemicals to help melt snow and ice.
• From January 4 through January 6, City staff plowed streets 24 hours a day.
• The City has continued to plow streets this week to address several issues, including snow that has been plowed into the street and intersections that have developed ridges from snowplow passes crossing in opposite directions.
• The City has plowed residential streets once in each direction twice, and began replowing residential streets on Friday.

At the present time, the City is at maximum capacity in terms of staffing and equipment, and all available crews and equipment continue to be deployed.

Here are some things to be aware of:

• Trucks are assigned to zones, so you may see them en-route loaded with salt returning to their zone.
• Plowing at night is less effective due to snow melting during the day and then re-freezing.
• It takes multiple plowings, traffic & thawing conditions for roadways to clear down to bare pavement.
• Traffic, plowing and shoveling of driveways and parking lots moves snow back into the roadway.
• Shoveling sidewalks is important to avoid people and school children walking in streets during dangerous driving conditions.

It is unavoidable that clearing streets will impact driveways. To help minimize snow being plowed back into your driveway, clear an area of 10-12 feet to the left of your driveway. Most of the plowed snow will then deposit in this space rather than in front of your driveway.

The City asks for continued patience as they clear roadways. Know that after each snowstorm, they review their performance and make revisions to snowplowing policies and procedures as needed.