Inside The Overnight Operation That Clears NYC Streets Before Dawn

NEW YORK, NY — Long before most New Yorkers looked out their windows and saw streets dusted white, sanitation workers were already awake, moving through dark garages and depot yards across the city, bolting steel plow blades onto trucks normally used to collect garbage and recycling

“There’s no such thing as a typical snowfall for us,”Vincent Gragnani, press secretary for the New York City Department of Sanitation said. “Every storm behaves differently, and the way it develops dictates everything we do.”

This storm, marked by prolonged sub-freezing temperatures and heavy accumulation, pushed sanitation crews into what officials call “snow mode:” a sustained emergency posture that transforms nearly the entire department overnight. Roughly 2,300 trucks become snowplows, many of them sanitation collection vehicles repurposed with plow blades in a matter of hours, Gragnani said. More than 700 salt spreaders fan out across highways and major streets, laying down a mix of rock salt and calcium chloride designed to keep ice from bonding to pavement.

When forecasts show temperatures staying below freezing, crews apply liquid brine, salt dissolved in water, to highways and major streets as much as two days in advance. The brine dries invisibly on the pavement and activates only when snow begins to fall, preventing ice from forming at the surface.

Once snow depths reach two inches, Gragnani said plows are deployed citywide. In this storm, officials said that threshold was never in doubt. Every street in New York City received at least two plow passes, with many receiving more as crews worked to widen lanes and reduce the risk of refreezing, according to Gragnani.

Sanitation workers, about 10,000 uniformed and civilian employees, are among the city’s most overlooked first responders. During major storms, thousands are on duty at any given time, working 12-hour shifts in freezing temperatures, accumulating overtime from their typical 8-hour shifts. Many sanitation workers operate in near-whiteout conditions, climbing repeatedly in and out of trucks while navigating streets that change by the hour.

Despite the scope of the response, officials caution that winter conditions remain dangerous even after plows have passed.

“Just because a street looks clear doesn’t mean it’s safe,” Gragnani said. “Black ice can form quickly, especially at night or in shaded areas.”

The department advises residents to “stay off the roads during active snowfall” whenever possible, allowing plows and spreaders to operate without interference. After a storm, drivers are urged to reduce speed, increase following distance and avoid sudden braking. Pedestrians are advised to walk carefully, particularly at intersections and curb cuts where melting snow can refreeze.

Property owners are also reminded of their legal responsibility to clear sidewalks. Following this storm, owners were required to clear at least a four-foot-wide path of snow and ice by early afternoon, officials said. Sanitation officials emphasized that snow should “never be shoveled into the street,” a practice that is illegal and can undo hours of plowing work while creating hazards for drivers.

As snowbanks grow and temperatures remain below freezing, the city has also activated snow-melting operations — a rarely used tactic in which snow is trucked to industrial melters that liquefy it and discharge the water directly into the sewer system. Each borough will host at least one such operation, officials said.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged residents to exercise patience and caution as crews continue their work.

“These storms are going to come with a range of possibilities, and we’re going to be prepared for every possibility,” Mamdani said during a weather briefing. “The best thing New Yorkers can do is stay inside when they can, travel only when necessary, and give our sanitation workers the space they need to do their jobs safely.”

The city maintains roughly 700 million pounds of salt across more than 40 storage sites and officials said there is no shortage, despite persistent rumors that surface during major storms.

“For us, winter doesn’t end when the storm does,” Gragnani said. “That’s when some of the most important work begins.”