MUSCATINE, Iowa – The City of Muscatine has declared a Snow Emergency starting at 6 p.m. tonight, January 8, through 6 p.m. Wednesday, January 10. The Snow Emergency declaration may be extended depending on weather conditions expected later this week.
Muscatine is under a Winter Storm Warning and is expected to receive seven to 12 inches of snow starting Monday night.
“Our trucks are out right now spraying areas of our streets with brine (a salt-water mixture that helps melt snow),” Brian Stineman, Public Works Director, said. “The snow plows will be out tonight depending on the snowfall. They will work as long as needed to move snow off the streets.”
Stineman also said that not all residential areas will receive a treatment with the brine mixture prior to the storm’s arrival, since only hills and known trouble areas usually receive the treatment. Public Works will run residential salt routes once the snow starts. Plowing of residential areas is dependent on the amount of snow and keeping the snow emergency routes clear.
“We will make every effort to get to all streets as quickly as we can,” Stineman said.
The Transit Division (MuscaBus) will be switching to Snow Routes starting Tuesday. (Weekday and Saturday maps).
Public Works will be running two shifts, starting with a night shift tonight, in order to clear the snow emergency routes first and then residential streets.
Stineman reminded residents that in order to help in the snow removal efforts and to speed up the process they should find off-street parking for their vehicles.
Muscatine’s Snow Emergency Ordinance limits on-street parking during a declared Snow Emergency to allow plows to access and clear streets during extreme winter storms.
According to the revised code, when weather conditions warrant the declaration of a snow emergency, motor traffic will be expedited and parking on City of Muscatine streets will be prohibited or restricted for snow plowing and other purposes.
City Code states that during a declared snow emergency, no person shall park, or allow to remain parked, any vehicle on any portion of a Snow Emergency route. Click on the following link to view a MAP of the Snow Emergency routes. Signage marking the designated Snow Emergency routes were installed by the City of Muscatine in 2022.
This is the second time that a Snow Emergency has been declared under the revised Snow Emergency Ordinance.
Once a Snow Emergency ends there is still the possibility of parking restrictions as Department of Public Works crews push back the snow to the curb.
The Snow Push Back policy would be implemented, if needed, once snow removal operations are complete to the appropriate levels of service on all Class I, Class II, and Class III roadways. Definitions of the different roadways can be found by reviewing the SNOW AND ICE CONTROL POLICY.
Residents will be provided 24-hour notice prior to the implementation of the Snow Push Back policy’s odd-even parking plan. See SNOW PUSH BACK POLICY for more information on parking restrictions.
Visit Snow & Ice Control on the City of Muscatine website for more information.