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Snow and Ice Removal

What to expect in our Snow and Ice Response

The Snow Team, made up of dozens of trained employees from multiple City departments, is prepared to monitor and respond when winter weather is expected to impact Independence. From Municipal Services, Power and Light, to Emergency Management and Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, the City's response is a collaborative effort.

Snow Removal Process

Road crews from Municipal Services are responsible for the care of approximately 1,400 lane miles of roadwork, which are broken down into primary, secondary, and residential roads. Staff monitors and pre-treats roads as necessary. If accumulating snow or ice is in the forecast, road crews will be dispatched to remove snow in 12-hour alternating shifts during the week, weekends, and holidays to provide continuous 24-hour operations until roads are treated.

Parks and Recreation crews maintain city property during inclement weather, including all city parking lots and sidewalks, fire stations, and police department properties.

Click button below to view live progress of snow removal crews

Snow Plow Tracker

NOTE: The Snow Plow Tracker will be operational during Winter Weather Events

Snow Removal Priorities

Every street in the City is important during snow operations, but streets with more traffic and more vehicles are typically treated and plowed first. 

To make the snow removal process as efficient as possible, city streets are classified in three phases:

  • Priorities - Roadways that carry the highest volume of traffic. Clearing these roads first enables safe access for emergency services and benefits the largest number of drivers possible.
  • Secondaries - Streets that connect priority roadways to residential streets. 
  • Residential - Residential streets that include cul-de-sacs and dead-ends.

Secondary and Residential streets are plowed or treated until passable, which means some snow will remain on the road surface. 

*The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) maintains some roads in Independence. These include I-70, M-291 Hwy, M-78 Hwy (23rd Street), US 24 Hwy, US 40 Hwy and Truman Road from Spring Street to the west city limits. Use the MoDOT Traveler Information Map to determine which streets are maintained by MoDOT and check current conditions.

Help Road Crews

While the City of Independence's road crews plow and treat thousands of lane miles, residents and business owners can help by these simple actions:

  • Do not park on the street until it has been plowed. Leave a clear path for plow drivers.
  • Wait until plows have made at least one clear path before driving on a street.
  • Remove basketball goals, trash cans, and other obstacles from the curb or driveway entrances.

Residents are responsible for shoveling driveways before and after plows have passed.

Snow and Ice Removal FAQs

Removing snow from private driveways, entrances and sidewalks adjacent to private property is the responsibility of the residential owner, occupant, community association, or business. Help keep Independence moving by clearing your sidewalk regularly and helping your neighbors who cannot clear their sidewalks.

Per City Code Sec. 17.06.002:

It shall be the duty of all persons owning or occupying any property fronting upon any street to keep the sidewalk, parkway between the sidewalk and street, curbing, or guttering in front and alongside such property and on the same side of the street in good order and to clean the same and remove from any such sidewalk, parkway between the sidewalk and street, curbing, and guttering all ice, snow, earth, or other substances that obstruct or render the same dangerous.

A diagram on how to clear your driveway. Image displays multiple driveways that connect to a public roadway. The first arrow points to and labels a "Private Drive". The second arrow points to a portion of the "Private Drive" that connects to the roadway and labels it as "Clear this Area". The third arrow points to a grainy area, south of the public roadway, indicating piles of snow and labels it as "Snow Plowed from Pavement".
Plowing Diagram

When snow plow trucks pass by your home, a windrow of snow can be pushed up against the curb and in front of your driveway. This is unavoidable and is due to the plow removing snow from the center of the road. You should clear the windrows from your driveway before the snow re-freezes and becomes more difficult to remove. 

To reduce the amount of snow being plowed back into driveways, shovel an open area along the shoulder at the drive entrance (see illustration). Plows will then push the snow into the area just before your driveway, leaving a smaller amount in front of your driveway. MoDOT has provided a short video about this here.

If parking on the street is unavoidable, vehicles should be parked along the north side of east-west streets and along the west side of north-south streets. 

Every storm requires the City to tailor its response to the conditions, resources, and staffing. Please be patient as plow trucks work from high-volume, high traffic roads to residential streets. Please wait until the day after precipitation stops falling to report snow removal concerns to our SNOW Line about slick spots or missed streets.

Report a snow removal concern via the SNOW line at 816-325-SNOW

Continuous freeze-thaw cycles can cause potholes in streets. Residents are encouraged to report potholes in the Action Center or call the Pothole Hotline at 325-7624 so repairs can be scheduled.

Related Links and Additional Information

Weather & Traffic

Staying Up to Date

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