Did you know that Kansas City is one of the most spread-out cities in America?
Geographically, you could fit the entire cities of Boston, Miami, and San Francisco inside our city limits and still have room to spare. That means our crews aren't just clearing a few busy downtown streets; they are covering over 6,000 miles of pavement! Scroll down to "How We Clear the City" learn more about the massive inventory it takes to keep Kansas City open.
We appreciate your patience! Our goal is to complete a full pass of every street within 48 hours after the snowfall ends.
Snow Removal Timeline
Before the Storm (Pre-Treatment):
Goal: Keep snow and ice from sticking to the road so plows can push it off more easily. This “anti-icing” approach uses salt or liquid salt brine applied ahead of the storm.
Forecasts are reviewed from several different sources to plan pre-treatment response:
Crews are deployed as soon as possible to start treating the streets with salt brine, Ice Ban, and calcium chloride.
Different types of weather leading up to a snow event will impact when pre-treatment starts and what type of pre-treatment materials are used.
During the Storm:
Goal: Keep all roads passable for emergency vehicles and essential travel.
Large plows may pass through neighborhoods without stopping if a main road needs urgent attention.
Clearing the busiest roads first follows state and federal guidelines, restores safe travel faster, and reduces how much material we need overall.
We use "tandem plowing” on wide main roads to effectively clean the street in one pass.
The myKCMO Mobile and Web app make it easy to report concerns such as downed trees, track snowplow routes and stay connected with the most recent updates. Residents are now able to report areas of concern, like slick spots, on the myKCMO app.
311 is able to provide assistance with city services in any language. Simply send an email to 311CallCenter@kcmo.org. A 311 Customer Service Specialist will reply to your email within 24–48 business hours.
How We Clear the City
Kansas City manages one of the largest road networks in the country. To keep the city moving, we combine a massive fleet with advanced technology and specialized training.
Our Fleet and Staff
300+ Plow Trucks: The more severe a snow storm is, the more plow trucks get sent out to respond. The City is able to deploy up to 303 trucks if the snow event is severe enough. The number of trucks we send out depends on the need for each individual snowfall.
City-Wide Effort: The Snow Team includes dedicated staff from several departments:
Public Works
Parks and Recreation
Neighborhood Services
Water Services
Health Department
Technology at Work
Our 24-hour Snow Command Center uses custom routing technology to support drivers. Through our partnership with Routeware Smart Cities, every driver uses a tablet that displays:
Their entire assigned route.
The priority level of every street.
Recent plowing activity in the area.
In 2025, we upgraded our primary and secondary Command Centers with new technology to improve communication and response speed.
Advanced Safety Training
Every October, all residential plow drivers must complete safety and equipment training.
Public Works Training Center: Opened in 2025, this facility allows new and returning drivers to practice in high-tech driving simulators.
Internal Systems: Drivers train specifically on our tracking and routing software to ensure accuracy during storms.
Plowing Strategy: Primary vs. Neighborhood Streets
Drivers cover 103 total routes to clear 6,000 lane miles of pavement. We use different methods based on the type of street to maximize efficiency:
Primary and Connector Streets (2,700 lane miles)
Goal: Plowed curb-to-curb down to the bare pavement.
Schedule: Cleared 24 hours a day.
This ensures emergency vehicles and the driving public can move safely.
Neighborhood and Residential Streets (3,300 lane miles)
Goal: Create a single "drivable lane" rather than clearing to bare pavement.
Schedule: Cleared 24 hours a day.
This allows crews to work around parked cars and restore neighborhood access quickly. Crews also apply salt and sand to hills, curves, and intersections.
Preparation
Public Works begins preparing for winter at least six months in advance. This includes stockpiling rock salt, Ice Ban, and other ice-removal materials to ensure we are ready before the first flake falls.
Here's a look at what it takes to keep Kansas City moving in winter weather.
Rock Salt
What it is: Regular salt used on roads and sidewalks.
What it does: It melts ice and snow when sprinkled onto surfaces.
How much we stock: We keep 36,500 tons ready for use.
Ice Ban (Blue Salt)
What it is: A treated salt that has a blue color.
What it does: It melts ice and sticks to surfaces better than regular salt, allowing it to work longer.
How much we stock: We stock 11,000 tons.
Salt Brine
What it is: A salty water solution.
What it does: We spray this before a storm to stop ice from forming on the pavement. Note that we do not apply this when it rains before a storm, because the rain would wash the solution away.
How much we stock: We have 51,000 gallons available.
Calcium Chloride
What it is: A specific type of salt solution.
What it does: It melts ice faster than other materials and remains effective in very cold temperatures.
How much we stock: We stock 26,000 gallons.
How is Snow Removal Funded?
The City budgeted over $5.72 million for snow removal for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. If winter is especially severe or snow removal budget runs out, the City is able to use backup funds. Snow removal will never stop because the budget runs out.
