Heavy Snowfall Causes Challenges on Maple Grove Roads

With advance warning of impending snowfall, Maple Grove city snow plows hit the streets at midnight Tuesday “with the plan of staying ahead of the storm and keeping the roads cleared by morning,” according to Maple Grove Director of Public Works/City Engineer Ken Ashfeld.

However, several inches of snow in three hours quickly changed those plans. Ashfeld estimates Maple Grove received 6 inches of snow between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. Wednesday.

“We just couldn’t keep up with the snow,” he said of the city plowing. “The biggest challenge was the volume of snow we received during the early morning time period.” 

Once the heavy snow started, crews moved back to clearing the primary city roads before moving back to secondary routes. Ashfeld estimates the rest of Maple Grove should be plowed by 6 p.m. Wednesday and crews will do additional clearing overnight.

Another hurdle the city plows faced was the weight of the snow. “It just takes longer to plow,” he said.

The Leap Day snowstorm brought out 16 Maple Grove plows for city streets, in addition to the Hennepin County snow plows taking care of the county roads. According to the city's website, Maple Grove plows approximately 300 miles of city roadway and 700 cul-de-sacs using various types of equipment.

“We appreciate the patience of residents,” he said. “It does take us time to get through the city.”

As plows continue overnight Wednesday, Ashfeld suggests motorists not park on city streets and be cautious around plows.

“We are more efficient at night with no cars on the street and less traffic,” he said.

In addition to plowing challenges, heavy snowfall Tuesday and Wednesday contributed to multiple weather-related accidents on roadways throughout the state.

Between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. Wednesday State Patrol reported crash numbers for the metro area at 73 crashes—six with injuries, 139 vehicles off the road/vehicle spin-outs and two jackknifed semis.

“Road conditions vary throughout the metro and statewide,” said State Patrol Lt. Eric Roeske said in a news release. “Many of the crashes and spin-outs we’ve seen are the result of people driving too fast. Motorists need to be aware of the conditions and adjust their speed accordingly, especially now that the morning rush is over.”