Washoe County’s roads crews began clearing roads in the unincorporated areas of the county at 3 a.m. on Friday morning and plan on working through the weekend to ensure as smooth a commute for motorists as possible.

With current conditions we’re having a hard time keeping up and probably won’t be able to until the snow and wind subsides a bit this afternoon,” Roads Superintendent Bill Oroszi said. “If we get a window of opportunity, we can make some measurable gains on those priority one roads.” Priority 1 roads are arterials and collector streets that are to be cleared first before Priority 2 and 3 streets (neighborhood streets, cul-de-sacs and dead end streets) according to the County’s Snow Removal Plan. Oroszi added that given the weather forecast, he believes his roads crews will be busy all weekend trying to keep the Priority 1 roads open, and won’t be able to get to neighborhood streets and others until late Monday afternoon. He once again asked for the public’s help and understanding as county road crews struggle with one-fourth less staffing.

“With this storm on top of snow that had already accumulated from the last storm, our guys are struggling to find space on road shoulders and right-of-ways to put the snow until we can have it blown, so that means larger berms of snow in front of driveways and mailboxes for most property owners,” Oroszi explained. “We greatly appreciate the public’s help in keeping this snow off the street until we get a chance to come in with blowers.”

You can help county snow plow operators by following these tips:

• Keep your vehicles and garbage cans off the streets so that the snowplow can plow your entire street. • If you shovel your driveway, don’t dump the snow on the sidewalk or roadway. • Be visible to snow plow operators by maintaining a safe distance behind them. • Understand that your road will be plowed in accordance to the regional snow plan which prioritizes which roads get cleared first. • Keep all objects out of the road and gutters so they don’t become flying objects. • Keep all drainage outlets open if possible to help in controlling melt off from snow/ice as temperatures rise during the day.

Other County Operations. As of noon on Friday, only the Incline Village Library was unable to open due to weather conditions. All other county services were open including District Court and the Marriage License Bureau, although county officials encourage citizens to call county offices before venturing out especially if the weather worsens.

Links to the County’s snow plow plan, driving tips and other useful information is located on the County’s website at www.washoecounty.us; just click on the “read more” link on the photo of winter driving. Department closures, if necessary, will also be posted on the website.