Mayor Spencer Announces Updated Snow Removal Plan for St. Louis
Get ready, St. Louisans! Mayor Cara Spencer has just announced that the City of St. Louis Street Department has implemented an updated snow removal plan and taken steps to increase capacity in order to keep roads passable this coming winter.
“As we prepare for winter, it’s important that our city government sets clear expectations,” said Mayor Spencer. “That’s why we have reviewed and updated our snow removal plan, increased on-call pay for snow plow drivers, and put in place a contingency agreement with a snow removal contractor to ensure we can quickly respond to severe conditions.”
Protocols for Snow Removal
The updated plan includes several protocols to ensure efficient and effective snow removal:
- Pretreatment: Approximately 12 hours before a snow event, all snow routes will be pretreated with a salt solution, unless certain conditions apply (such as predicted rain or below freezing temperatures).
- Snow Route Clearance: The first priority will be clearing the drive lanes on all snow routes, including those near schools.
- Intersection Clearance: Crews will then focus on clearing snow at intersections where side streets meet the main snow routes.
- Side Streets: After intersections are clear, the Street Department director will determine what additional support is needed for remaining side streets. In the case of significant ice, all available vehicles and staff from other departments will be utilized.
- Contingency Contract: A contingency contract is in place to address snow events beyond the City’s capabilities.
Increased Salt Supply and Fleet Enhancements
The City is also taking steps to ensure an ample supply of salt for the winter season. An average winter requires 6,000-7,000 tons of salt, but the City used 12,000 tons in just one response in January 2025. Currently, there is a bid for 9,000 tons of salt in the approval process, which will bring the City’s stored salt amount to 15,000 tons.
In addition, the Street Department’s snowplow fleet has been enhanced with four new 1-ton trucks and four older dump trucks with salt capacities of 8 or 18 tons. These additions will primarily be used on hill routes and smaller streets.
The City is also working on a pilot program for a salt bank, where residents and community groups can pick up salt for side streets at the Street Department.
