According to the City of Renton, this month’s earlier snow and cold weather was “no match” for the city’s public works street maintenance crews, who were equipped with 11 dump trucks with sanders and three additional trucks applying anti-icer.

Annual preparations started the first week of October, which led to a coordinated 24-hour response that kept the city’s streets safe for travel. Once snow hits, the plows are dispatched around the clock in overlapping shifts.

According to the city, the plowing strategy prioritizes main streets, secondary arterials and collectors, bridges, schools, hospitals, fire stations and bus routes. The crews also put down sand, salt, or a sand and salt mixture on roads to aid traction and melt snow. Crews carefully document each street after it has been plowed and sanded, recording the date, time, and condition. Vehicles are also GPS-equipped.

The city reported that during the recent storm, they plowed 1,990 miles of roads and applied:

7,000 gallons of liquid deicer on 276 total miles of road

50 tons of salt/sand mixture to main arterials and hills to help melt snow and ice

25 tons of sand for traction

City officials say you can help snow crews by: Not shoveling snow from your driveway and sidewalk into the street. Instead, push it onto your yard. This helps keep the plows from pushing that snow back onto your driveway.

When salting your driveway or sidewalk, spray water on the salt to make it more effective.

Treat the plows as you would an emergency vehicle, slow down and be patient.

Check your tires and emergency supplies as you prepare to drive in the snow.

If you become stuck, it is safer to stay in your vehicle if possible. If you must walk, avoid walking on the roadway.