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City of Duluth provides snow plow operations update

Wednesday, April 2, 2025 | 8:00 PM

[DULUTH, MN] City of Duluth Street Maintenance crews are largely on a rest break, with a few on overnight for emergencies and to continue working Priority 1 roadways as this storm comes to an end. The full fleet of plow trucks will be back at 2:00 AM to finish cleaning up the snow and ice from roadways following the storm.

The National Weather Service’s forecast shows a little more than an additional inch of snow and mixed precipitation falling intermittently this evening through early Thursday morning. Roadways and sidewalks that still have heavy, wet, compacted snow on them will continue to be slick, so caution should be exercised when walking or driving.

To reiterate from the last operations update: Spring snow events are especially challenging on Priority 3 gravel and dirt roadways, as they are especially vulnerable due to frost heaving out of the ground and softening the surfaces. Because of the softer state of these roadways and alleys, Street Maintenance operations must treat those surfaces with a softer touch; this may include either raising the snowplow blades up an inch or so to keep contact with the surface at a minimum to prevent damaging the gravel surface. It may also include leaving a passable gravel surface unplowed and allowing the coming warmth and sun to remove the snow naturally. In those rarer cases, residents should take extra care while traversing those surfaces.

A friendly reminder, too, that this snow is heavy, wet snow, and may prove challenging to shovel for certain populations. Please take extra care of yourselves while shoveling: take breaks, stretch beforehand, stay hydrated, and lift with your legs rather than your back. If you see a neighbor struggling to shovel and you are physically able, please help them. Look out for each other and yourselves.

For detailed information on the City’s snow and ice policy and how roads are prioritized, please visit https://duluthmn.gov/snow/.

Thanks to City of Duluth’s Street Maintenance staff for their hard work through this and all snow events.

As always, the City thanks residents for their patience and understanding as crews work to maintain roadways during and after snow events. Please stay safe while traveling.

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