BOISE, Idaho — Remnants of a Saturday night snowstorm can still be seen in Ada County neighborhoods, with Boiseans breaking out shovels and chains to brave the snowy streets.
Throughout the storm, Ada County Highway District (ACHD) snowplows have been trying to clear the record-setting snowfall. Starting Sunday night, those plows will begin moving into neighborhoods across the county.
The district has been in 24-hour snow operations and has brought in additional contractors, as plows have worked to clear their top priorities.
"We've been able to get completely caught up on the arterials and collector roads - those main roadways, getting in and out," ACHD Deputy Director of Maintenance Jennifer Berenger said. "We do still have some of those areas for cleanup, but we know that the residential has gotten hit hard from this storm."
With cold temperatures - and snow - expected to stick around for the next few days, ACHD crews will now be moving their plows into residential areas, which account for more than half of the 5,300 lane miles the district manages.
"The challenge is we have over 3,000 lane miles of residential areas, and 4,000 cul-de-sacs," Berenger said. "So it takes a lot of time to get to that many places with the resources we have."
ACHD said it could take several weeks to plow all those residential streets if temperatures stay cold.
The district will be prioritizing areas where vulnerable people are living, including neighborhoods with elderly populations and residents with urgent medical needs.
To prepare for the plows, ACHD is asking residents to not shovel snow into roadways, keep storm drains clear, and park off-street if possible.
"If you have your cars parked on the roadway, if there's another place that you can put them, into a driveway or somewhere else off street, that will help us immensely as we move through," Berenger said. "So we're not burying your car under more snow."
While the snow plowing process could take some time, there are no-cost permits available for neighborhoods and HOAs to help with quicker service.
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