Snow Emergency Declaration & Levels

City Code & Snow Procedures

Snow Emergency Declaration (Section 11-10 of the Gillette City Code)

Declarations of the Administrator

The Administrator shall publicly announce each Snow Emergency by means of notification to every radio station, newspaper, and other public media as appropriate in the City as soon as possible. Each announcement shall describe the action taken by the Administrator in such detail as shall be possible. The Administrator shall make or cause to be made a record of each time and date when any declaration is announced to the public in accordance with this section. The Snow Emergency declaration may include such emergency measures and restrictions as are reasonably necessary to protect the public during the Snow Emergency including but not limited to the closing of streets to vehicular traffic and forbidding non emergency driving.

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Termination of Snow Emergency by the Administrator

Whenever the Administrator shall find that the conditions which give rise to a Snow Emergency pursuant to this Ordinance no longer exist, he may declare the Snow Emergency terminated by notifying the same media utilized to inform the public of the emergency.

City of Gillette Snow Emergency Levels (City Procedures)

The City of Gillette maintains two (2) levels of weather advisories for the City of Gillette, its citizens and visitors. In the event of a weather emergency, the City Administrator or his/her designee, will notify the public via social media, the City’s mass notification system, posting on the City website, and notice to the local media (including radio stations and press), of the nature and extent of the snow emergency.

Level I

A Level I Weather Emergency does not restrict travel; however, citizens should expect adverse road conditions, including but not limited to, icy roads, reduced visibility, and blowing and drifting snow. A Level I Weather Emergency requires the removal of vehicles from all snow emergency routes in accordance with Section 11-10 of the Gillette City Code. All City facilities remain open for business during a Level I Weather Emergency.

Level II

A Level II Weather Emergency advises against non-emergency travel in the City of Gillette. Citizens driving during a Level II Weather Emergency may encounter roads which are impassable; and will likely interfere with snow and storm damage removal as well as emergency services. All City facilities are closed for business during a Level II Weather Emergency. Although City facilities are closed, it is the responsibility of each citizen to determine whether their employer is open for business.

Snow Routes (City Code Ord. 3746, 1-3-2012)

No Parking on Snow Routes

Whenever there is an accumulation of four inches of snow or forecast to fall in the immediate future on the basis of a forecast by the U. S. Weather Bureau or other weather service, which weather conditions will make it necessary that motor vehicle traffic be expedited and that parking on City streets be prohibited for snow plowing and other purposes, a parking prohibition on the Snow Route shall be in effect and no person shall park or allow to remain parked any vehicle on any portion of a Snow Emergency Route. When a parking prohibition goes into effect, the City shall request local radio, TV or cable stations to broadcast announcements that all vehicles should be moved off of the snow route within 4 hours.

Signs to Mark Snow Routes

On each street designated by the Ordinance as a Snow Route, special signs shall be posted with the wording “Emergency Snow Route. No Parking if over 4 inches.” These signs shall be distinctive and uniform in appearance and shall be plainly readable to persons traveling on the street and highway.

Snow Routes Designated

The following streets or portions of streets within the city are hereby designated as Snow Routes:

  • 6th Street from Burma Avenue to Gillette Avenue
  • 4th Street from 4-J Road to Gurley Avenue
  • Gurley Avenue from 12th Street to 4th Street
  • 4-J Road from 2nd Street to 8th Street
  • Brooks Avenue from 2nd Street to Warlow
  • 9th Street from Butler Spaeth to Highway 59
  • Foothills Boulevard from Highway 14-16 to Echeta Road
  • 7th Street from Highway 59 to 4-J Road

Snow Emergency Routes(PDF, 578KB)

Parking after Snow removal

Once in effect, a prohibition under this section shall remain in effect until the Snow Route has been plowed and the snow is no longer accumulating. While the prohibition is in effect, no person shall park or allow to remain parked any vehicle on any portion of a Snow Route to which it applies. However, nothing in this section shall be construed to permit parking at any time or place where it is forbidden by any other provision by law.

Notification of Owners

Whenever a snowfall occurs and the parking prohibition of this section occurs, the police, whenever practicable, shall attempt to telephone the owners of vehicles parked on Snow Routes when their identity can be determined, to direct them to relocate their vehicles prior to their removal.

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