Snow Removal

As a property owner or resident, you're required to clear snow and ice from sidewalks adjacent to your property within 24 hours after a snowfall.

Tips:

• Wait for the storm and plow to pass if you live on a plow route.
• Shovel snow into your yard, not into the street.

Report unshoveled sidewalks:

• Phone: Call Neighborhood Services at 970-224-6046
• Online: Report via Access Fort Collins

After road plowing ends, the City clears over 100 miles of sidewalks, focusing mainly on Priority 1 arterials like Lemay and Drake.

The City plows paved trails like the Poudre River Trail and Spring Creek Trail during and after snowfall, as roads are being plowed. Bike lanes are a high priority, but clearing snow is challenging due to snow pushed from driving lanes. Depending on exact conditions, some bike lanes may remain covered after heavy storms. Please be patient and ride carefully.

After major storms, City crews clear Downtown streets from 12-8 a.m., pushing snow to the street center then hauling away.

By City ordinance, businesses and contractors are prohibited from pushing snow into streets or public rights-of-way.

This practice:

• Blocks drainage and sidewalks
• Obstructs driver views
• Creates serious safety hazards

Violators may be held liable for damages.

We use multiple forecasting tools, five weather stations, and pavement sensors across Fort Collins to track:

• Air and pavement temperature
• Wind and precipitation
• Snow depth and road conditions

This helps us make fast, informed decisions around the clock.

This is anti-icing — we apply salt brine to roads before a storm. It prevents snow from bonding to the pavement, making plowing more effective.

We maintain over 1,050 lane miles of Priority 1-3 roads. Residential streets (Priority 4) aren't routinely plowed due to:

• Lower traffic volumes
• High cost
• Frequent sunny conditions that help melt snow naturally

We do plow residential streets during a Snow Emergency or if snow blocks traffic.

Call the Streets Department at 970-221-6615 to report dangerous drifts. We’ll assess and respond based on severity.

• Sidewalks: Yes. Call 970-221-6615 if a cleared sidewalk is buried after plowing.
• Driveways: Unfortunately, we can’t. With thousands of driveways citywide, we focus our limited staff and equipment on major roads.