Snow Operations FAQ

DSNY removes snow from the City's 19,000 lane miles of roadways. When a winter storm is predicted, the same people who collect your household trash jump into action, loading salt spreaders, attaching plows, and preparing tire chains.

Salt spreaders are our first line of defense, and may be pre-positioned before the storm starts. They spread a mix of rock salt and calcium chloride on roads, highways and bike lanes at the first sight of frozen precipitation. Calcium chloride increases salt's effectiveness at low temperatures.

Depending on conditions, DSNY may "pre-treat" locations that are prone to early freezing. DSNY may also spray brine (liquid salt) on roadways before a storm, helping to keep snow and ice from building up.

Plows may be pre-positioned before the start of a storm, but only begin operating once nearly two inches of snow has accumulated. They run on set routes, which include all city streets.

Snowplows are designed to plow the street, not scrape them. The plow is set slightly off the ground so the truck does not "trip" on uneven streets or manhole covers.

A plowed street will not show blacktop, especially if it is still snowing and the wind is blowing. But the snowplows will be back, running their routes, until the snow stops and the streets are clear.

A combined approach of salting roadways and using plows is the most effective snow fighting technique.

Property owners, tenants, lessees, and other occupants are responsible for clearing snow and ice from their sidewalks. Where possible, clear a 4-foot path to allow pedestrians to pass. Corner properties should clear a path to the crosswalk, including pedestrian ramps.

DO NOT push snow or ice into the street or crosswalk. Snow may be moved to the building line or curbline.

If you fail to remove snow and ice from your sidewalks, you may receive a violation.

If you are an older adult or a person with disabilities and have questions about snow removal, contact 311.

On two-lane streets, plows push snow to the right to avoid blocking the oncoming left lane with a ridge of snow. If plows did not push snow to the right on one-way streets, accumulated snow would make left turns at intersections impossible.

Visit PlowNYC at nyc.gov/PlowNYC to see the last time a plow was on your street.

NOTE: Signal strength, weather conditions, construction projects, closures, and other events may cause a discrepancy between what appears on the map and actual conditions.

The same DSNY workers who collect trash, composting, and recycling are also responsible for snow removal. Additionally, workers begin turning collection trucks into snowplows before the storm starts. Because of this, trash, composting, and recycling collection may be delayed or suspended before, during, or immediately after a storm.

Check 311, the DSNY website, and @nycsanitation on our social media channels for guidance.