With another significant snowfall expected through Wednesday afternoon Harrisonburg Public and other city departments are working in snow and ice mode and will continue to do so until all of the roads in the city have been plowed.

Residents are encouraged by the Virginia Department of Transportation, the City of Harrisonburg, and Harrisonburg Police to stay off the roads during the snow storm if possible.

Drivers should use caution when driving in the snow and keep the following guidelines in mind:

• Avoid parking on the street. Snowplows can't fully clear the street with cars in the way.

• Avoid unnecessary travel when crews are clearing snow and ice from the roadways.

• Do not attempt to pass snowplows and stay at least 100 feet behind them.

• Keep a safe distance of at least five seconds behind other vehicles.

• Be aware of potentially icy areas such as shady spots and bridges.

• When driving on ice, turn slowly, and do not slam on your brakes. Sudden changes can cause your car to spin out of control.

During a winter storm, city crews respond around the clock in 12-hour shifts to plow snow- and ice-covered streets, and repair equipment. The city has more than 60 employees who use nearly 30 pieces of snow removal equipment throughout the city, and about 300 tons of salt are currently stockpiled, ready for use, to be replaced as necessary during the winter.

The City’s mission is to minimize the severity of the storm through a comprehensive plan to remove snow and ice from our roadways, sidewalks, parking lots and public facilities.

During a winter storm, snow removal crews give first priority to main thoroughfares, main routes to Rockingham Memorial Hospital and public transit routes. Harrisonburg is divided into nine (9) areas operating from two designated staging facilities (Mosby Road Shop in the southern
portion of the city and Park View shop in the northwestern section of the city).

Each area contains primary routes and primary connector routes that are chemically treated with salt and/or abrasives prior to snow removal efforts. This process allows drivers to travel no more than two or three blocks before having access to a cleared street.

Please visit www.harrisonburgva.gov/publicworks for a map of snow plow routes.

Once the snow has slowed significantly or stopped and these routes are clear, crews begin working on residential neighborhood and subdivision streets.

The city also reminds residents that according to Section 6-1-15 of the Code of the City of Harrisonburg, residents must clear snow from sidewalks in front or on the side of their home within three hours after precipitation stops falling, or by 10 a.m. the following morning for
overnight storms.

Citizens should shovel snow to the right side of their driveways (looking
toward the street). This way, snowplows will not push already-shoveled snow back into the driveway.

Snow should not be shoveled into the street as this can cause hazardous conditions for vehicles.

To assist emergency responders, residents are also urged to clear off fire hydrants near their properties.

Residents should avoid overexertion during clean up. Shoveling snow or pushing a car canbring on a heart attack or make other medical conditions worse.