Snowplowing in Polson has many facets
Polson city snow plows have multiple mirrors they pay attention to while clearing out roadway. (Ashley Fox/Lake County Leader)
Polson city snow plow trucks have a wand, as shown on the lower right of this photo, to help the truck drivers maneuver the machinery. (Ashley Fox/Lake County Leader)
Plow truck drivers for Polson work on preparing, clearing and maintaining 50-some miles of roadway throughout the city. Shifts are based on when the snow and ice is anticipated as well as when the precipitation begins to fall. (Ashley Fox/Lake County Leader
Polson city plow trucks treat roadways before, during and after storms, regardless of the time of day. (Ashley Fox/Lake County Leader)
A Polson city street plow maintains roadways around the downtown area late Friday morning, just as a winter storm sets in. (Ashley Fox/Lake County Leader)
Polson Street crews stock their plow trucks with sand and gravel as the snow storm begins to pick up its pace late Friday morning. (Ashley Fox/Lake County Leader)
Just hours before last week’s snowstorm, Polson street crews were out, maintaining roadways.
On Thursday morning last week, Terry Gembala, supervisor of the streets department, headed out at 7 a.m. in his city plow truck, while two others manned their designated areas of the city.
“There’s a list of priority,” Gembala said.
Major roadways, such as Main Street and First Avenue, along with roads to the schools and hospital are classified as “1’s” and “2’s,” while residential areas are “3.”
According to the city’s snow removal policy, first priority roadways are defined as “any hour service by the street dept. for first priority snow routes.”
Second priority roads are “to receive immediate attention following plowing of first priority routes.”
Lastly, other residential streets are to be “plowed within 48 hours of the end of snowfall in excess of 3 inches.”
The policy states that snowfall of less than 3 inches will not be plowed in residential streets unless drifting occurs.
In total, Gembala said that there are more than 50 miles of roadway in Polson city limits that are tended to, mostly in eight-hour shifts, dependent on the weather.
He shared that to keep the drivers of the plows safe, they try to get rest between their shifts.
“We’ll go home, rest up and then we’ll hit it,” he said ahead of the storm that hit the area on Friday.
The city has three plow trucks in its fleet, with a fourth, smaller truck in charge of sidewalks and city hall.
Employees who operate the three large trucks must have a commercial driver’s license, Gembala said.
At the end of the plow blade, there is a wand to help the driver gauge where the plow is, and how close it is to curbs, shrubs or cars.
“There’s lots of little things to look out for,” Gembala said, specifying hitches on pickup trucks, water valves in the ground and manhole covers.
Depending on the type of precipitation, Gembala said that sand, gravel or Magnesium Chloride (deicer) is used.
“After (the temperature) falls under 10 (degrees), the deicer” will stop working, he said.
Using abrasives are used mostly on the outer streets of the city, while Magnesium Chloride is used within the business district.
One outcome of snowfall in Polson is the berm that can be seen piled in the center of streets.
The reasoning behind the berm, Gembala explained, is because it’s easier to store the snow, so to speak, until crews can collect the snow in dump trucks, and then distribute it in open lots or along the lake.
Gembala said that while the employees manning the plows work regardless of traffic or any obstacles, vehicles left on roadways “are a major concern,” citing safety.
“It’s safety for us, it’s safety for (vehicle owners),” he said.
Trash cans and portable basketball hoops sometimes fall victim to the plow, Gembala said, and to ensure they aren’t damaged by plows, people should remember to grab them when they aren’t needed at the curb.
Gembala shared that should a motorist see a plow truck, they should slow down and if possible, try to pull over to give more room.
“The last thing we want to do is hit anybody,” he explained.
Each truck has a safety notice on the back, reminding motorists to stay 100 feet behind the plow truck at all times.
While the street department tries to maintain the roadways, Gembala said it is helpful if motorists have good tires on their vehicles and stressed for people to drive slow in any type of inclement weather.
Gembala, who is also assistant chief of the Polson City Fire Department, also said that anyone with a driveway should be mindful of keeping it cleared.
In the event of an emergency, he said, the lack of accessibility to the incident can hinder how fast first responders can assess the situation and help.
He suggested that those who are unable to remove snow from their walkways and driveways can call Polson High School, for students looking for community service or ask neighbors for help.
Snow at any business or home is supposed to stay within the parcel of land, and not put out on the street.
Information on Polson City snow removal can be found online at www.cityofpolson.com/streets/page/snow-removal-information