Snow Plowing Policy
The purpose of this policy is to clarify and describe the Town's snow plowing and sanding/salting priorities and the level of service that is intended to be provided by Town forces.
Planning for a winter storm event can be difficult.
The variations in rate of snowfall, moisture content, air/surface temperatures, time of day, and wind velocity make each storm unique.
The purpose of this policy is to clarify and describe the Town’s snow plowing and sanding/salting priorities and the level of service that is intended to be provided by Town forces. The Town does not guarantee that streets will be free of snow and ice after plowing and/or sanding/salting. Bare, dry pavement should not be expected. The Town will attempt to maintain adequate traction for vehicles properly equipped for winter driving conditions.
It is the goal of this effort to establish general policies and procedures that help make travel within the Town as safe as possible and to minimize economic hardship.
IMPORTANT: Streets marked Snow Emergency Route: Vehicles parked on the street on a Snow Emergency Route during a snow event are illegally parked. These vehicles can be towed at the Owner's Expense. Please do not park your vehicle on the street. It is very difficult and often impossible to plow snow around cars that are parked on the street. Please, park your car in your driveway until the streets have been plowed.
Priority Categories
For snow and ice events, streets in Denton are prioritized into four categories.
1st Priority
Streets of major importance that must be kept open at all times and are designated snow emergency routes with posted signs are first priority.
- 5th Avenue from Gay Street south to Sharp Road, including the Denton Fire House ramp (Emergency Services)
- 3rd Street from Lincoln Street south to Fountain Avenue (Emergency Services)
- Market Street from the causeway east to 6th Street (Central Business District) (CBD)
- Camp Road from 6th Street to Oakwood Drive (not including overpass) (Emergency Services)
- Kerr Avenue from 5th Street to the nursing/rehab facility (Emergency Services)
- Daffin Lane (Emergency Services)
- 1st Street between Gay & Market (Emergency Services)
- Town-owned sidewalks, steps, and Denton Police parking areas
2nd Priority
Streets with only slightly less importance than the first priority streets.
- High Street west to Lockerman to Caroline Street (school bus route)
- 3rd Street from High Street to Lincoln Street
- 2nd Street from Fountain Ave to Sharp Road
- Market Street from 6th Street to Garland Road
- Camp Road from Oakwood Drive to Garland Road
- Sharp Road and Lupine Lane (school bus route)
- Legion Road from 404 to Mike Street
- Engerman Road and Park Lane (Denton Industrial Park)
- Town-owned parking lots (Public Health and Safety Welfare)
3rd Priority
Residential streets and intersections, beginning with major collector streets and streets that serve 10 or more permanent families throughout the winter.
4th Priority
Areas that include low volume gravel streets, alleys, cul-de-sacs and/or streets.
Level of Service
As staffing and funding allow, the following levels of service for snow and ice removal will be provided.
Priority 1 Streets
Plowing should begin when accumulation of snow in the streets exceeds approximately two inches and snow continues to fall. The street accumulation is generally independent of the total accumulation of snow in the area. All priority one streets should be plowed before proceeding to any other areas. Sand/salt should be applied when it is determined by the Public Works Superintendent or their designee (generally the Utilities Supervisor) that sufficient snow and/or ice exist throughout the town.
Priority 2 Streets
Plowing should begin when accumulations of snow on the streets exceed approximately two inches and after all priority one streets have been plowed. Sand/salt should be applied when it is determined by the Public Works Superintendent or their designee that sufficient snow and/or ice exists throughout the town.. When snow has accumulated within the Central Business District (CBD) to the point that on-street parking becomes impractical, the accumulated snow shall be hauled from the CBD and disposed of at Crouse Park. The hauling of accumulated snow should only be initiated following the completion of snow plowing operations of priority one, two and three streets. The Town may contract private haulers for snow removal.
Priority 3 Streets
Plowing should begin when accumulations of snow on the streets exceed approximately two inches and after all priority one and two streets have been plowed. Sand/salt should be applied when it is determined by the Public Works Superintendent or their designee that sufficient snow and/or ice exists throughout the town. All Town-owned and maintained public parking lots in the CBD area shall be included.
Priority 4 Streets
The Town may not plow or sand/salt streets in this category unless determined to be impassable by the Public Works Superintendent or their designee. These areas include unimproved streets, gravel streets, and improved/unimproved alleys.
Sidewalks and Parking Lots
All sidewalks and walkways adjacent to Town-owned and maintained property and public parking lots shall be cleaned by the Town.
This is normally accomplished by Public Works personnel.
The cleaning of other sidewalks and private parking lots is the responsibility of the adjacent property owner. The Town will attempt to prevent plowing snow onto sidewalks; however, the Town will not clean sidewalks adjacent to private property. Windrows left by plows or graders will not be cleared from private driveways. Cleaning sidewalks and driveways that are plowed in by the Town are the responsibility of the adjacent property owner. It is the responsibility of business and property owners in the Central Business District to clear sidewalks in front of and adjacent to their business or property within three hours after it stops snowing.
Citizen Cooperation
During snow emergencies and winter storm conditions, all citizens of the Town of Denton are requested to cooperate fully with the Department.
To achieve the best possible results in the most efficient manner from the Public Works Department snow and ice plowing operations, all residents are asked to remove their parked vehicles, trailers, and boats from all Town streets if possible. This will allow snow plows an opportunity to clear the streets quicker and with fewer passes, improve accessibility, and minimize damage to private vehicles, thereby saving both time and money.
The Town of Denton will not be responsible for vehicles parked on the street that are isolated by snow piles due to plowing operations.
All garbage and debris recycling containers should be always placed behind the curb or in residential driveways.
Snow removed from residential properties should not be placed in the street, stacked or stockpiled over the ends of culverts or catch basins. Rapid warming or thawing could overload drainage facilities, causing local flooding and/or possible property damage.
Drivers should insure that their vehicles have proper traction control devices installed if they must drive during snow/ice events and travelers are asked to consider using alternate routes whenever possible.
Public Notification
Snow plowing is a very visible service and affects everyone who travels during the winter months. Therefore, communication between Town staff and the public is important. Depending on the longevity and severity of the event, the Town of Denton will use a variety of means to communicate snow and ice control information.
This will be accomplished through one or more of the following sources:
- The Denton Town News, a quarterly newsletter published by the Town of Denton
- Public service announcements on local radio stations
- Web sites (http://www.dentonmaryland.com http://www.dentonpublicworks.com)
Departure of Policy
The Town of Denton acknowledges the policies set forth in this program are of a general nature and recognizes conditions may be so unusual or unexpected that a departure from this general program may need to be authorized. The Town Administrator and/or Public Works Superintendent may order a departure from these general policies when conditions are such that the departure from this policy is necessary and warranted for the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens and employees of the Town of Denton. The Town Administrator, or designee, is authorized to publicly announce that nonemergency travel is not recommended when conditions warrant such a warning.
This policy does not, nor is it intended to encompass all details of the Town of Denton’s snow plowing operations.
Updated 2025