Response to Snow and Ice Events

Crews will be dispatched to respond to all snow and ice events where accumulations are expected to be 1/4" or more, unless melting or little to no accumulation is expected to occur.

During any snow event, crews focus primarily on Posted Snow Routes before clearing residential streets not posted as snow routes. Posted Snow Routes are generally located within one to five blocks of residential streets.

Priority has been placed on snow routes based on a number of factors, including traffic volume, public transit route, geographic features such as hills and proximity to schools and emergency service facilities such as hospitals, police and fire stations. 



Pre-Wetting and Anti-icing

To improve efficiency and reduce chloride levels in our creeks and streams, Public Works crews pre-wet Posted Snow Routes with anti-icing material, "salt brine", whenever the opportunity exists to do so. Pre-wetting helps to break the pavement bond, begins melting falling precipitation and has the benefit of reducing the number of passes a plow has to make. 

Downtown and Hilltop Campus Area

Plowing in the Downtown and Hilltop Campus areas is conducted during all Snow Emergencies. Snow is only removed from the curb line and parking lanes following snow events or back-to-back snow events resulting in four or more inches of snow accumulation. When removal and hauling from the curb line and parking lanes is required, a second Snow Emergency specific to the Downtown and Hilltop Campus areas is declared.

Second snow emergencies occur after all residential streets are plowed and are scheduled during the overnight hours of 9 pm to 6 am. Removing and hauling snow overnight reduces the impact on traffic in the area and provides for efficient clearing and removal from the site. 

There are many Posted Snow Routes in the Downtown and Hilltop Campus areas. Whenever a Snow Emergency is declared, vehicles must be removed from the street. Cars parked on a Posted Snow Route during a Snow Emergency will be ticketed and may be towed.

Parking in all three of the City’s parking ramps is free during active Snow Emergencies.

In addition to Snow Route signage, as a courtesy, we have added blue lighted signs to raise public awareness that a Snow Emergency is in effect in the Downtown. These should be lit when a Snow Emergency is in effect to indicate that parking on Posted Snow Routes is prohibited. Three message boards may also be placed at strategic entry points to the area as additional notification of Snow Emergencies.

Because blue lights are subject to becoming snow-covered, malfunction, and power outage, do not rely on the blue lights to indicate when a Snow Emergency is in effect. The most reliable way to know when a Snow Emergency is in effect is by signing up to receive a notification when a Snow Emergency is declared.

Avoid a ticket or tow by signing up for alerts when a snow emergency is declared. 

Property owners and/or occupants are responsible for clearing the city sidewalks adjacent to their homes or businesses and maintaining them free of snow and ice at all times. The city policy regarding snow removal can be found in the Municipal Code, Chapter 12.56. 

Sidewalk Snow Removal Ordinance Enforcement. The city begins enforcement of the sidewalk snow removal policy 24 hours after the cessation of snowfall. Just be mindful, it is easier to shovel early and often, and that the goal of sidewalk snow removal is pedestrian safety.

If snow or ice has become packed and difficult to remove, it must be covered with salt, sand, sawdust, ashes or some other non-slippery or adhesive substance to make the sidewalk safe to use.

When a sidewalk has not been cleared within the allotted time, the city may clear that sidewalk and bill the property owner for the associated costs. No advance warning of such clearings will be given.

Following a snowfall of 1" or more, routine inspections are performed along arterial streets, within three blocks of schools and in the downtown area to promote pedestrian safety in areas where pedestrian traffic is higher and to ensure compliance.  Any location generating a complaint is also inspected and cleared if warranted. Prior to removing snow, the area to be cleared is photographed to document the failure to clear the sidewalk.  Property owners may file an objection to clearing charges with the Legal department at 563.326.7735.

Report a Sidewalk that Has Not Been Cleared. To report a sidewalk that has not been cleared, contact the Public Works Department at 563.326.7923 or submit a request. Before reporting a sidewalk that hasn't been shoveled, consider doing a good turn and shoveling or snow blowing the sidewalk. You never know if the reason the sidewalk hasn't been cleared is because the property owner is physically unable to remove the snow or if other conditions prevented the owner from shoveling.  

Snow Cannot be Pushed or Blown to the Street. Know that depositing, spewing or placing snow and ice on any public property in the city, including sidewalks and streets adjacent to a home or business is prohibited under Ordinance 12.64.01.  You may be fined.

The City Pushed Snow Back Onto My Sidewalk.  Windrowing, or pushing snow back onto sidewalks is often an unavoidable consequence of snow removal activities. Snow has to go somewhere. The amount of snow deposited is dependent on the magnitude of the snow event and an area's geography, street width, vehicular parking, and other conditions such as cul-de-sacs. Crews will attempt to minimize windrowing whenever conditions allow them to do so; however, windrowing is often unavoidable. 

The City will not clear sidewalks recovered by windrow. Property owners whose sidewalks become recovered as a result of windrowing, should attempt to make at least one pass through the middle of the sidewalk in order to provide sufficient surface for pedestrian traffic. In general the City will not cite property owners who have attempted to clear their sidewalk of snow and ice. 

Sidewalk Snow Removal Tips

Windrowing, plowing shut or pushing snow back into driveway approaches is an unavoidable consequence of snow removal activities. Snow has to go somewhere. The amount of snow deposited is dependent on the magnitude of the snow event and an area's geography, street width, vehicular parking, and other conditions such as cul-de-sacs. Crews will attempt to minimize windrowing whenever conditions allow them to do so; however, windrowing is often unavoidable.

The City will not clear typical event windrow from driveway approaches.

The City's snow plan does not provide for clearing driveways or re-clearing sidewalks and driveways that may have been re-covered by windrow. Not only does this present private liability issues, but this is not a fiscally responsible use of available funds or resources.

To minimize the impacts of windrowing or snow pushed into driveway approaches, residents removing snow from their driveway should consider creating a pocket for snow to go (facing the street) on the left side of the driveway and placing material removed from the driveway on the right side (facing the street). Taking this proactive measure can help further reduce the volume pushed into the approach. See image below.

Snow Cannot be Pushed or Blown to the Street. Know that depositing, spewing or placing snow and ice on any public property in the city, including sidewalks and streets adjacent to a home or business is prohibited under Ordinance 12.64.01.  You may be fined.

Each year, Davenport Public Works receives many inquiries about plowing alleys. Davenport's Snow & Ice Control Program's objective is to clear street surfaces sufficiently to support safe, efficient travel, commerce, and emergency response using available resources. Alleys are only cleared when necessary to support solid waste services for these reasons.

The City's road use tax-funded CDL pool and equipment resources are generally well matched for timely clearing of the nearly 1,300 lane miles of streets our team maintains.  Clearing alleys long after a winter weather event ends is not fiscally responsible and diverts resources from other essential city services, such as pothole filling, clearing storm drains, preparing for spring flooding, and the next construction season.

• Winter Driving Tips

Winter weather events may result in loss of power and heat.

There are things you should know, and several things you can do to help protect you and your family during these types of events. Find a comprehensive guide for preparing, enduring and recovering from emergencies in our Energy Lifeline preparedness guide. The guide covers topics such as frozen pipes, how to receive information on emergency conditions and how to report emergencies such as downed power lines.

Emergency Assistance and Warming Shelters
Contact the Red Cross of the Quad Cities Area

Power Outages
Do NOT touch downed power lines.

To report a downed power line or loss of power call MidAmerican Energy at 800-799-4443. Never assume someone else has reported a power outage. The information you provide helps MidAmerican Energy's electric outage management system to pinpoint the source of the outage and speed the restoration process.

Additional information about the causes of power outages, preparing for a storm and how MidAmerican Energy restores power outages is available in the Storm Center on MidAmerican Energy's website.