Snow
Ordinance and RemovalPlease do not call 911 to inquire about the snow ordinance.
If It's Snowing, Avoid Towing
Signs along the snow route remind you to keep an eye on the sky if you’re parking on a CyRide route. These signs are in addition to our traditional snow route reminders. We put the snow ordinance into effect when we need to plow snow and we ask drivers to remove their vehicles so we can clear the streets as completely as possible.
How do you know if the snow ordinance is in effect? Anytime the snow accumulation reaches two inches on the main City streets (Lincoln Way, Grand Avenue, Duff Avenue and lots of others), be prepared to move your vehicle if you have parked along a snow route! When the snow ordinance is put into effect, it will be posted on the City's website and on TV Channel 12 (Government Access Television) as soon as possible. You may also listen to: KASI - 1430 AM or KCCQ -105.1 FM. We also give this information to the Des Moines TV stations, 5, 8 and 13. When they have time, they include the information in their scrolls.
Once the ordinance has been put into effect, you could receive a ticket or have your car towed if it is parked on a snow route.
We don’t want this to happen, so please move your vehicle. If you are towed, you’ll need to contact Elmquist Decker's at 232-6670 to get it back.
During the snow removal process, please don’t park on the snow routes until the snow has stopped falling and the street is plowed from curb to curb.
Plowing Priorities:
The goal of the Operations Division is to have the snow routes opened by either 7:00 a.m. or 5:00 p.m. (depending on the severity and time of the storm). All streets should be plowed within 16 hours after a storm ends.
The snow ordinance is a municipal law designed to facilitate the snow removal process. The snow ordinance goes into effect and plowing starts when two inches of snow has fallen on arterial streets (such as Duff Avenue, Lincoln Way, 13th Street and Grand Avenue).
When the snow ordinance goes into effect, vehicles may be towed immediately, without waiting for a ticket to be issued.
If your car has been towed, call Elmquist Decker's at 232-6670. They are located at 821 Lincoln Way and are open 24 hours a day. Towing from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. is $35 and from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. is $45. A $5 administrative fee and $5 per day storage are additional fees. In addition, your vehicle will have received a parking ticket for the snow ordinance violation.
Vehicles parked on streets that are not designated snow routes may also be ticketed if they have not been moved within 48 hours after a snowfall. Failure to remove cars results in snow and ice that is difficult to remove and may cause a hazard for traffic.
If you feel that your car has been towed unjustly, you may appeal the process:
The Operations Division uses ice control materials at controlled intersections, hills and curves. They use ice control measures at other intersections only if the condition warrants.
New concrete streets will be treated only with sand for the first year; these streets will be marked with "No Salt" signs.
Property owners or tenants have ten daylight hours from the last accumulation in which to clear their sidewalks. If it snows again before the ten hours are up, we will still post notices on the old snow/ice. Sidewalks need to be cleared to a four-foot wide surface.
When an uncleared walk is reported, the walk is checked and posted with a 24 hour notice to clean the walk. If it is not cleared within 24 hours, the Operations Division will clear the walk and the property owner will be charged the actual cost of removal plus a $50 administrative fee. The average fee is between $90 and $150.
The plows will clear streets in business districts on consecutive evenings after a snowstorm. This will allow time for merchants to shovel the piles of snow off sidewalks into the streets after it has been plowed to eliminate hazards for the public.
For questions or concerns about snow removal progress while it’s snowing, call the Operations Division’s Snow Desk. The phone number is 515-239-5543. If there is no answer, the operator is on another line or away from the desk. Please leave a message and a City staff member will return your call.
To find out if the snow ordinance is in effect, tune to the following media for information:
Radio Stations:
KASI - 1430 AM
KCCQ - 105.1 FM
TV Stations:
TV 12 Government Access will use a scroll along the bottom of
the screen.
In addition, Des Moines television stations, TV 5, TV 8 and TV 13 are informed about the ordinance and may carry announcements.