Snow is on the horizon, but don’t expect snowplows to follow.
The city of Durango faces severe snowplow driver shortages that will affect snow removal this winter.
Residents can expect slower and less extensive plowing as the city prioritizes major roads and important infrastructure, such as hospitals and fire stations.
“We’re definitely looking at a reduced level of service when it comes to snowplowing,” said city of Durango Streets Superintendent Mike Somsen. “I really want to encourage the public to be patient. We’ll be doing the best we can with what we have, but we just aren’t getting any applications at all.”
The city has less than half the drivers it needs.
A full crew would be 14 plow drivers. Ahead of Monday night’s storm, five were available.
“It’s getting harder and harder to find people that are willing to work odd hours and commit to being on call,” Somsen said.
“We’ve entered a new workforce era where individuals are looking more toward Monday through Friday jobs. We don’t do that,” he said.
Plow drivers are required to have a commercial driver’s license, which can cost hundreds of dollars. They must also submit to regular drug testing, including marijuana, which Somsen said can be a deterrent.
Snowplowing can be a dangerous profession. Drivers often have no idea what’s under the snow they’re driving over and obstacles like parked cars make the job difficult. Many times they have to face angry residents.
“We’ve been struggling,” Somsen said. “We’ve hired some temporary workers to help us through the fall season, but we’re barely keeping up.”
La Plata County has not had the same issues. The county’s plowing crews are fully staffed at the moment, said Ted Holteen, spokesman for La Plata County.
Hiring snowplow drivers remains an annual challenge for the Colorado Department of Transportation.
“This is something we face every year trying to find these temporary, full-time workers that we need during the winter months,” said Lisa Schwantes, spokeswoman for CDOT.
Affordable housing and other obstacles unique to rural Colorado can hamper the search. CDOT needs plow drivers in small mountain towns scattered across rural Colorado.
“We have gotten to the point where we want to find folks who are interested in starting a career with us,” Schwantes said. “We are willing to train drivers. We are willing to help them obtain their commercial driving license. ... We’re really interested in finding folks who are willing to make a career out of this.”
Though shortages are straining city operations, CDOT expects its crews to be fully staffed by the end of the month, Schwantes said.
In the interim, CDOT will lean on its other crews. For this week’s forecasted storms, CDOT’s traffic and specialty crews will help with snow removal.
While CDOT is prepared, the agency only covers U.S. and state highways.
County crews must plow 600 miles of road every time it snows, driving more than 1,500 miles per storm.
City crews are responsible for plowing about 164 miles of roads within city limits and 55 city blocks around town.
Staff shortages and the enormous areas drivers must cover will hinder snow removal this winter.
“We’ve been able to provide a very high level of service in the past, and I think some (people) are not going to be happy with the level of service that we’re able to provide this winter,” Somsen said.
For the city, residential areas will be plowed after major roads and emergency facilities, which may take longer than usual. Alleys will be plowed last.
The county prioritizes county roads 240 (Florida Road), 501, 141 (Wildcat Canyon Road), 210 and 310/318. Crews will turn to gravel and other low-traffic roads only after these major roads have been cleared and sanded.
Somsen said Durango’s plowing will look more like Denver’s this year, in which residential streets are plowed two days after storms.
“It’s going to become the new norm here for a while,” he said.
With fewer drivers, the quality of snow removal will decrease, too.
The city doesn’t have capacity to run 24-hour crews, so clearing will be spottier.
Snowplows will clear the center of roads and wait until storms pass to clear the sides.
This two-step process can frustrate residents as plows shed snow onto already shoveled driveways or sidewalks, but Somsen said that’s all road maintenance can do right now.
In the past, crews have tackled ice. Ice dams can build up on roads, making them slick and treacherous. But this year, crews will be occupied with clearing roads and ice will be secondary.
“Ice is probably going to be an issue,” Somsen said. “We’re not going to be able to deal with icing issues like we have in the past.”
Tom Sluis, a spokesman for the city, said residents should not be worried. Driver shortages will affect snow removal, but snowplows will still be out cleaning roads.
The city is considering signing bonuses for new drivers and is reaching out to other departments for help, Sluis said.
Drivers will still need to be prepared for cold-weather driving this year.
“Remember to get back into that winter driving mode and make sure that you’re prepared for any driving conditions that are coming our way,” Schwantes said.
Drivers should have good snow tires or chains and slow down when driving in snowy or ice conditions. They should also take the time to clear their windshields and lights and have emergency supplies such as shovels, flashlights and blankets in their trunks.
“Make sure that you are comfortable driving in the conditions that you’re seeing. If you can hold off travel until things subside, we encourage folks to do that,” Schwantes said.
Travelers can visit CDOT’s COtrip.org for road conditions, travel alerts and cameras to plan ahead.
As for the snow that’s forecast to arrive in the next few days, Schwantes said not to worry.
“We’ve got things covered this week,” she said.
ahannon@durangoherald.com
