Inside the System That Decides Which Roads Get Cleared First

With winter weather shifting quickly, road conditions can change just as fast — and city, county, and state crews stay on constant standby to keep routes open. Here’s a quick look at how road crews typically tackle snow and ice across the region.

Which roads get plowed first?

Emergency routes come first — things like ambulance access, fires, and power outages. After that, crews move to major roads and main travel corridors. High-volume local streets follow, with neighborhood and low-traffic roads after that. Low-volume gravel roads are usually last.

When do crews work?

Some agencies staff crews around-the-clock during storms. Others start early, usually around 5 a.m. Evening, weekend, and holiday callouts happen only when conditions demand it. In active storms, the focus stays on main