We're certainly not unfamiliar with snow here in Troutdale. But the reality is that we only average about two inches of snow per year. But that doesn't mean our roads won't be impacted when the flakes fall.
Of course, when winter weather strikes, the big question everyone has is: will my street be plowed and sanded? To get the short answer, be sure to check out our interactive map of snow and ice priority routes. You can also find plans and priority routes from other municipalities in our region:
- Multnomah County Snow & Ice Plan
- Fairview Snow Plow Priority
- Gresham Snow and Ice Plow Routes
- Portland Plow Activity & Routes
City crews make clearing Troutdale streets their top priority. Arterial streets will be cleared first as those serve the greatest number of users and are the most critical to mobility. These include county-maintained roads such as 257th Avenue, Troutdale/Buxton, Stark Street, Cherry Park Road, Halsey Street, and Columbia River Highway. City crews deploy to the County’s arterial roads if Multnomah County’s forces are occupied elsewhere.
Emergency response and public facilities — such as the police station, fire station, City Hall, and schools — are cleared next.
» RELATED: Winter Driving Tips
After that come streets which provide connections to local streets. Among the collector streets are Beaver Creek Lane, Chapman Avenue, Corbeth Lane, Evans Avenue, Lewellyn Avenue, and Sweetbriar Lane.
Local streets are near the bottom of the priority list. Priority “A” and/or “B” roads may require continuing treatment to ensure essential travel, delaying treatment of lower priority roads for an indefinite period of time. In most cases, warming temperatures and/or rain will remove the snow or ice before snow removal crews can get there.
You can help by driving only if it’s absolutely crucial immediately after a snow event. If driving is unavoidable, exercise caution and use traction devices whenever necessary.
You can also help with the snow removal process by parking off roadways to allow room for plows to maneuver through narrow city streets. And be sure to bring in your trash and recycling containers as soon as possible.
Residents as well as local businesses should keep sidewalks adjacent to the property cleared of snow and ice.
Please note, that when we plow your street, regrettably, we sometimes leave a berm in front of your driveway. Because our priority is to clear as many streets as possible to ensure that emergency vehicles — fire trucks, PGE crews and ambulances — can get to you if needed, we can’t stop and clear every driveway. The time it would take to do that for thousands of driveways would slow us down and not allow us to clear the streets for emergencies.
We know it can be a major inconvenience, and we are sorry. But try to think of it as an opportunity to lend a hand to your neighbors who can’t shovel their own driveway!
Here are more winter weather resources:
- Care for When It's Cold - Multnomah County
- Hypothermia & Frostbite - CDC
- Report a Power Outage - PGE
- Animals and Cold Weather - Multnomah County
- Winterizing your Pipes - Regional Water Providers Consortium
- Generator Safety - EPA