Update on Wednesday, February 19 at 6:30 p.m.:
Snow crews have completed their first pass through all City streets, after working around the clock since Monday night.
Neighborhood streets may not all be down to bare pavement but are cleared.
If you feel your street needs another look, please file an OPCares request.
Overland Park’s plan + snow priorities
Ahead of Monday’s snowfall, crews treated streets with salt and magnesium chloride. As snow began to accumulate Tuesday morning, they shifted to plowing operations.
Every street in the City is important during snow operations, but streets that move more vehicles and traffic are typically treated and plowed first to ensure emergency vehicles can safely move around the city.
Plow drivers focus first on thoroughfares: high-volume, multi-lane roads. These are plowed continuously during snow operations. They will also work to keep collector streets bordering neighborhoods and commercial areas clear. Crews plow neighborhood streets after snow stops falling.
It can take crews up to 48 hours after the snowfall ends to clear all streets.
We expect to have all neighborhood streets plowed before Thursday morning, but ask residents to wait until all routes are complete before submitting snow removal requests through OPCares.
Other City operational impacts
The City’s snow map remains unavailable as staff are still working on improvements to ensure the information it shares accurately reflects snow operations.
The City learned in January that the longevity of snow removal operations impacted the efficacy of the snow map. We are actively working on a new public mapping system.
Freezing temperatures can damage plumbing at restrooms in City parks. Restrooms will be closed to the public during this week’s extreme cold at Quivira Park, Roe Park, Indian Creek Recreation Center, South Lake Park, Thompson Park, Sapling Grove Park, Strang Park and Young’s Park.
Tips for residents
Patience will be key for this storm. We ask that residents wait for crews to complete all routes before filing requests for snow removal through OPCares.
While streets are being plowed, residents can help by:
- Moving vehicles off the street until it has been plowed to leave a clear path for plow drivers.
- Waiting until plows have made at least one clear path before driving on a street.
- Removing basketball goals, trash cans, and other obstacles from the curb or driveway entrances.
After streets are plowed or treated, keep sidewalks free of ice and snow.
Plows typically leave a windrow of snow at the end of each driveway. It is each resident or business owner’s responsibility to shovel blocked driveways.