Bowie Braces For First Snow Of Year; Here's The Plowing Plan

BOWIE, MD — Wednesday could bring the first snowstorm of the year to Bowie. City officials said they are ready.

All departments attended a winter weather meeting last week. The conference helped them coordinate their snowstorm response.

Bowie said it's prepared to clear roads and keep city facilities open. The effort takes a team from the Streets Division and the Parks and Grounds Division. The Public Works Department sometimes contracts private plowing companies to chip in.

"Responding to winter weather and keeping the 192 miles of city roads safe is a responsibility the City of Bowie takes very seriously," Communications Director Una Cooper said in a press release. "Snow response takes planning, coordination and good communication."

RELATED: Winter Storm Approaches Bowie; How Much Snow Will City Get?

Cooper said residents should know these things about the plowing operation:

• There are different levels of response based on the severity of the storm.
• When the snowfall is less than two inches, only main drives, hills and collector roads are treated.
• During larger storms and in severe icing conditions, all streets will be plowed/treated beginning with the most heavily traveled roads and progressing through to side streets and cul-de-sacs.
• During major snow events, crews will keep their focus on main thoroughfares to make sure they are passable. Crews will not move to side streets until this is done.
• Cars must be removed from the streets when two or more inches are forecast so that plows can clear the streets most efficiently.
• Clearing sidewalks in front of homes is the resident’s responsibility and should be done within 48 hours after the snow stops falling.
• During and after a storm, dangerous road conditions may be reported to 301-809-2344 (between the hours of 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.) After business hours, calls should go to the Bowie Police Department’s Call Center at 240-544-5700.
• Some streets are maintained by Prince George’s County and the State of Maryland. These streets will not be plowed by the City of Bowie. Visit www.cityofbowie.org/snowroads to see a list of these roads.

Residents can take the following actions to help snow crews and emergency responders during winter storms:

• Stay off the roads in the event of snow or ice.
• Move vehicles off the streets and into driveways.
• Clear ice, snow and leaves from around fire hydrants and storm drains and avoid shoveling snow into the street.
• Keep shovels and salt or sand handy.
• Make sure you have food and other supplies on hand in case you are home for a few days or lose power.
• Sign up for Alert Bowie (www.cityofbowie.org/alerts) to receive updates from the City of Bowie about trash and recycling service changes, snow-related closures, the status of plowing operations, weather alerts, and other storm-related information.
• Information is also posted on the City’s social media accounts, the Bowie government channel, and the City website.

More information about snow removal is available at this link. To catch up on the expected snowfall, read Patch's forecast.

RELATED:

• MD Weather: Winter Storm May Dump More Than Foot Of Snow

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