When Do Sioux Falls Plows Use Their Snow Gates?

Snow gates. Most people don't think about them, but if you ever had to remove compacted snow from a driveway after a city plow has come through, then you are grateful that they exist. Snow gates are definitely a blessing, but they do have limits.

Monday's storm dropped over 6 inches of wet and heavy snow on Sioux Falls. And let's not forget about the extra snow that fell on Tuesday. Because of that, the City of Sioux Falls Street Department is letting everyone know that the snow gates on their plows were not as effective in this type of snow as they would have hoped.

According to a tweet from the City, "The heavy & wet snow makes the snow gates not as effective as we would wish for this storm. They are being used but as seen in the video, we cant get it all. The good news is we have warmer weather coming soon to help clear it all up."

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So this got me thinking, does the city use snow gates in every storm? Turns out there are specific criteria dictating their use.

First and foremost, snow gates are only used city-wide during snow alerts. Snow gate use may be suspended during snow events where the snow is wet and heavy.

While snow gates do a good job at reducing the amount of snow deposited in driveways, but they don't completely eliminate snow buildup, you still might have to remove some snow. Snow from the driveway will now be pushed to the side of the driveway and it's the homeowner's responsibility to clear a path to a mailbox.

Snow gates will not be used to keep snow from burying a vehicle that should not be parked on the street during a snow alert. Not only will the owner have to dig the vehicle out, but they also will probably have to pay the city to do so in the form of a ticket.

Here are the Sioux Falls snow gates in action. Drag the video to change the view.