Department of Public Services

Snow Response and Removal

Snow response and removal is a high priority for the City of Midland. The methods used and response time for snow removal throughout the approximately 36 square miles of Midland depend upon the amount of snow that falls. 

The categories below describe the general procedures for snow response and removal in the city.

Snow watch – Public Services is staffed 24 hours a day beginning the Sunday following Thanksgiving through April 1 to monitor and respond to weather conditions.

Immediate response – when the conditions of light snow or ice appear on road surfaces, snow watch operators on duty begin to salt priority routes. The priority routes include bridges, overpasses, the Business Route 10 expressway, major streets and the hospital zone.

Salting response – if additional crews are needed to salt streets, 10 salt trucks are available and will be dispatched as conditions warrant.

Snow removal response – when a significant snowfall occurs, and/or accompanying weather conditions warrant, street plowing begins. Street plowing routes are followed by salting to minimize icing.

Snow removal follows this sequence –

First: a team of four or more trucks plow state trunklines (Eastman Avenue, Saginaw Road, M-20 and Patrick and Lyon Roads), Business Route 10 expressway and major streets.

Second: additional trucks are assigned to plow major streets and school routes. A salt truck follows each route to minimize icing as well as salt the street near stop signs at major intersections.

Third: once priority routes have been cleared, road crews begin plowing residential areas, starting with the next day’s garbage collection route and continuing through the days of the week (for example, if snow fell on a Monday, plowing would begin for Tuesday collection, then proceed to Wednesday, then Thursday, etc.).

Note: courts and cul-de-sacs will be plowed as any other residential street; however, smaller plows will follow the route to clean up any additional snow that is left in the end of the cul-de-sacs.

Follow-up: Snow removal crews will work on a 24-hour schedule until city streets are clear. Once streets and designated parking lots have been plowed and salted, road crews will begin to haul snow from the downtown area and plowed parking lots.

Featured Video:  Snow and Ice Safety Tips

Click Here for Snow and Ice Safety Tips  

Watch two helpful PSAs on:

• ways to keep safe around others vehicles and when removing snow and ice during cold winter months. (From the "Jump To" dropdown menu, choose "Zone In On Safety - Residential Snow & Ice Removal".)
• ways to keep safe around City workers, vehicles, and equipment used for snow removal. (From the "Jump To" dropdown menu, choose "Zone In On Safety - Safe Driving Around Snow Plow Crews".)