CINCINNATI – The City of Cincinnati’s Winter Operations team has been working throughout the year to prepare for the upcoming winter season. Crews have been inspecting and calibrating equipment, reviewing and revising snow routes and examining weather forecasts.

In addition to traditional tools such as snowplows and salt, the Department of Public Services also plans to utilize a multitude of digital resources – an interactive dashboard and an enhanced community outreach strategy – to help keep Cincinnati streets safe and drivable this winter.

To help make navigating Cincinnati streets easier during winter events, the City offers a real-time Snow Plow Tracker dashboard on CincyInsights that allows residents to view streets as they are treated.

The City will further enhance its community engagement efforts by utilizing available social media tools to communicate with residents during winter weather events. This will also include working with partner agencies to provide useful tips for winter weather driving. Residents should follow @CinPubServices and @CityofCincy on Twitter for road condition updates during winter weather  events.

Motorists are also reminded of the importance of exercise caution and to be patient while on the road this winter season. City crews will also need extra room to treat and clear the more than 3,100 lane miles of roadway within City of Cincinnati limits. 

Crews began in early September practicing routes and reviewing components of the trucks – including proper snowplow operations and material application.

On Oct. 25 and 26, City crews participated in a dry-run exercise designed to refresh and sharpen drivers’ skills at operating snowplows and the various tools that will be used for snow and ice control during a storm. This training included classroom instruction followed by a performance-based exercise with winter operations equipment.

When preparing for the winter season, crews train with the following criteria in mind:

• Operate equipment effectively and safely in hazardous road conditions.
• Comfortable navigation of snow routes to ensure all areas of the City receive consistent and reliable attention.
• React to changing road conditions.
• Ensure effective transfer of information throughout the course of a winter event.

The City has the following resources on hand at the beginning of this winter season, with the ability to always purchase more:

• 81 pieces of winter operations equipment
• 4 salt domes, carrying a total of 27,000 tons of salt
• 57,000 gallons of calcium chloride
• 21,500 gallons of beet juice
• 63,000 gallons of salt brine

Residents can visit www.cincinnati-oh.gov/winter to view more information on the City of Cincinnati’s Winter Operations program.