Wilmington, DE
Home MenuSnow Preparedness and Removal
Visit this link to read the City of Wilmington Department of Public Works Snow Removal Plan.
When a snow storm blankets the city, approximately 200 miles of city streets are affected. To help you better understand how the City responds when it snows, the Department of Public Works Operations Division has prepared the following information.
The men and women of the DPW Street Cleaning Division are responsible for plowing and salting the streets. Additional support is provided by additional DPW personnel.
When the snow arrives, DPW coordinates with the Office of Emergency Management, the Department of Police and the Department of Fire to ensure continuity of service.
Snow Plow Tracker
Operational Plan
Plow trucks are sent to primary streets first. They are:
PRIMARY STREETS | BUS AND HOSPITAL ARTERIALS | |
2nd and 4th Streets | North and South Market Streets | 8th and 9th Streets |
10th, 11th and 12th Streets | Miller Road | Claymont Street |
Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard | Delaware Avenue | DuPont Street |
Lancaster Avenue | Pennsylvania Avenue | |
Union Street | Adams Street | |
Washington Street | Jackson Street | |
Concord Avenue | North and South Walnut Street |
As snow continues and primary routes are cleared, plow trucks are redirected to alternate routes. After primary and emergency routes have been cleared, plow trucks move to clear the 17 neighborhood routes. They are:
Canby Park | South Wilmington (Riverfront) |
Union Park Gardens | Front Street to 16th Street (from Locust Street to Walnut Street) |
Westmoreland | Northeast Blvd. to Market Street (from 12th Street to 35th Street) |
Browntown | Delaware Avenue to Lovering Avenue (from Scott Street to Adams Street) |
Hedgeville | Pennsylvania Avenue to 19th Street (from Broom Street to Rising Sun Lane) |
Lancaster Avenue/Pennsylvania Avenue (from Jackson Street to Union Street) | French Street to Washington Street (from Front Street to 16th Street) |
Brandywine Hills | Washington Street to Adams Street (from Front Street to the Brandywine River) |
31st Street to Lea Blvd. (from Market Street to Miller Road) | Northeast/Riverside/Eastlake areas |
18th Street to 30th Street (from Market Street to Broom Street) |
City Code Regarding Snow Removal
When shoveling your sidewalks and pathways, please remember that Wilmington City Code prohibits depositing the shoveled snow in the street. Please read the code for instructions on where to deposit the snow.
Sec. 42-419. - Procedure for making pathways and snow clearance.
- In removing ice and snow from sidewalks, it shall be unlawful to deposit any part thereof in the gutters or on the roadway forming a part of such public street. Such snow and ice shall be deposited on the sidewalk at or near the curb.
- In removing ice and snow from private motor vehicle parking areas, including commercial parking lots for motor vehicles, or from any area which is not open and used by the public, the following procedures shall apply:
- Snow and ice shall be deposited wholly to the interior of the perimeter of the private lot or behind the building line and shall in no case be deposited so as to obstruct an adjacent sidewalk, gutter, or roadway forming part of a public street.
- The snow and ice removed from a lot or parking area shall not be piled beyond a height of five feet without specific permission to do so by the public works commissioner, nor shall such snow and ice be placed within 15 feet of any fire hydrant.
(Code 1968, § 45-117; Ord. No. 92-053(sub 1), § 1(j), 7-2-92)