It’s spring in Montana, so there’s always a chance for more snow, but here’s to hoping we’re past the point of accumulation.

That said, The Electric took a look at the city’s snow removal operations for this winter.

From Nov. 6, 2024 through Feb. 23, 2025, the city saw 42.1 inches of snow and 48 days of snowfall, according to Great Falls public works.

The average winter snowfall in Great Falls is about 60 inches.

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Over that time, the city streets division put 572 total hours into snow pickup, with 148 of those as overtime.

That included 65 days of snow and ice operations, with 56 consecutive days, according to Eric Boyd, city streets division manager.

Through those months, city streets staff worked 4,479 hours with 3,208 hours of equipment time and 42,352 total equipment miles, which equates to traveling around the equator 1.7 times, Boyd told The Electric.

That was 12,571 gallons of diesel fuel at at estimated cost of $36,000 and 5,750 tons of sand at a cost of about $83,000, Boyd said.

Over the winter months, the city removed 14,232 cubic yards of snow from downtown and 8th Avenue North.

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City streets crews removed snow from those areas twice this winter, when the average is four times at about 40,000 cubic yards annually, Boyd said.

Snow is temporarily stored in multiple areas, but the permanent snow holding site is on 33rd Avenue Northeast off Havre Highway.

The city streets division had 236 requests for service from early November to late February, with 177 of those from Dec. 29 to Jan. 30, which was the first significant snowfall, Boyd said.

The most common request was sand at an intersection or a hill, followed by plowed in driveways and many were on residential streets that aren’t plowed and citizens couldn’t drive through the pile of snow they shoveled to the end of their driveways, Boyd said.

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The city had no plow related incidents during that time, but by late February, Jim Wingerter, the Great Falls district manager for the Montana Department of Transportation, said 20 of their snowplows had been hit.

This winter, the city had 14 snow and ice operators, two in training and six open positions.

“Snow and ice control often requires balancing competing challenges. For example, not plowing residential streets can result in slick conditions that may make navigation difficult. However, plowing these streets may create other issues, such as blocked driveways, obstructed parked cars, and narrowed roadways that hinder two-way traffic and limit on-street parking,” Boyd said.

He said the streets division did a test while preparing for a street reconstruction project and plowed snow to the side before it was removed, mimicking real-world results if residential streets were plowed, and traffic lanes narrowed with berms along parked cars posed parking and driveway access challenges.

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“We understand that winter weather can be tough on residents and we genuinely relate to the frustration it brings. No one feels that more than our plow drivers. Maintaining roads in these conditions is challenging and we strive to meet both community concerns and established priorities. The level of service provided depends on the needs of the situation and what is feasible,” Boyd said.

“The level of service is controlled by balancing resources committed to the public’s willingness to pay for the service,” according to the city’s snow and ice control plan.

As an example, according to the city, performing snow removal on residential streets city-wide would cost about $1 million per winter storm, assuming there was enough time to complete removal before the snow melter.

The city faces a number of challenges, Boyd said, such as snow from private properties being pushed into the street.

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Under city rules, that’s not allowed and snow pushed from private property onto priority snow routes adds to the city crews workload of clearing those route and cuts into the available snow storage areas, while also creating hazards to street users and contributes to drainage issues as snow melts, according to the city.

Vehicles parked on top priority snow removal routes slows plowing efforts.

Boyd said that plows are on the road more than the average driver during snow storms, putting them at higher risk of crashes.

“We urge citizens to plan ahead and give themselves extra time to reach their destination. Give the plows some space to do their work. And remember, if you can’t see the driver, they can’t see you,” Boyd said.

A primary challenge, Boyd said, is that residents “often expect immediate, perfect service after a snowstorm. Managing public expectations while balancing available resources and realistic response times can be a challenge.”