The snow we received Thursday night/Friday morning has complicated attempts to finish clearing residential areas in the southern half of Spokane County. Blowing and drifting snow has kept crews busy plowing emergency routes, primary arterials and secondary roads that were cleared earlier this week. This has extended the timeline for clearing the entire system which is the largest county road system in the State of Washington (almost 5,000 lane miles).
We ask the public to be patient and understand that crews have been working 12-hour shifts, 24/7 since January 10, 2020. We’ve had a few anecdotal reports of angry citizens attempting to confront our employees. With back-to-back storms, it’s been a week of slipping, sliding, shoveling….and frustration. However, when that frustration boils over into threatening plow drivers and grader operators – it’s unacceptable and depending on the severity of the encounter, could lead to criminal charges.
Forecasters are calling for more snow on Saturday and crews will return to clearing emergency routes and primary arterials, followed by secondary roads, hilly residential and flat residential areas. Citizens may track the progress of crews by going to www.spokanecounty.org/publicworks and clicking on the “Snow Plow Activity Map” on the home page.