Snow and Ice Response Plan
Updated January 2024
The City provides sanding, plowing, and de-icing services on public streets that allow traffic to enter and leave the Island safely when winter weather brings snow and ice.
The City has six plows, three of which have sander units; one truck is used mostly for liquid de-icing.
The top priority is the primary routes that access I-90, schools and the Town Center, and other important arterials. This includes arterials such as Island Crest Way, Gallagher Hill Road, East Mercer Way, West Mercer Way, North Mercer Way, Mercerwood Drive, SE 40th Street, SE 53rd Place, SE 68th Street, 70th Ave SE, and 72nd Ave SE.
In addition to plowing and sanding, crews also apply a pre-treatment of liquid deicer to other arterials located on steep hills and major intersections; this can help prevent minor ice build-up and makes treated streets easier to plow. See Deicing Pre-Treatment Locations Map for more information.
When arterials are safe to travel, crews begin working next on residential streets. Crews also respond to snow and ice situations at the request of Mercer Island Police. Unfortunately, the City does not have the personnel or equipment to clear residential neighborhoods until the main arterials are clear and passable, and must prioritize time and resources.
During major snowstorm events, crews will be focused solely on snow removal for priority routes.
Click on the links below to see the latest maps:
- Snow Removal Priority Streets Map
- Deicing Pre-Treatment Locations Map
- Likely Street Closures Due to Weather Map
- Privately Maintained Roadways Map (i.e. maintenance is responsibility of homeowners, not the City)
To report a snow problem, or request sanding/deicing after a storm, please use the City's online service request portal MI-Connect (or download the app). This pushes requests directly into the workflow queue for City field crews.
