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Winter Storm Safety Information
Minnesota's winter storms can present a variety of hazards, and the Golden Valley Fire, Police, and Public Works Departments want to ensure residents are fully equipped with the right tools and information to tackle any type of weather.
Feb 22–23, 2023 Storm
According to the National Weather Service, this storm will bring widespread accumulating snow, with the worst conditions late Wed, Feb 22 into Thur, Feb 23. Life-threatening travel conditions are expected when winds pick up Wednesday evening through Thursday. For updates on the storm and road conditions, check the following websites:
City Plowing Updates
City plow crews will be out 2 am–2 pm Thur, Feb 23 and again at 4 am Fri, Feb 24 for any final clean-up. City staff are continuously monitoring the weather and road conditions and will adjust plans as needed. All plowing updates will be posted in the Alert section on the City website home page. See more snow plow information below.
Safety Reminders
The Golden Valley Police and Fire Departments remind residents to limit travel as much as possible due to poor road conditions and visibility. If you are involved in a non-injury accident, turn on your emergency flashers and safely remove your vehicle from the road. If you require emergency assistance, call 911 and stay in your vehicle until responders arrive. All three Golden Valley fire stations will be staffed overnight to maintain proper emergency response times. See more safety information below.
Street and alley parking is prohibited until all streets have been plowed curb to curb (see Street and Alley Parking information below). Off-street parking will be available at any City park parking lot; however, due to the amount of snow and limited resources, these parking lots may not be plowed out until late Friday afternoon.
Facility Closures
- City Hall: City Hall will be open with limited staffing. All other staff will be working remotely and available by email and phone. The DMV will be closed Thur, Feb 23.
- Public Safety Building: The Public Safety lobby will be closed Thur, Feb 23. Staff will be working remotely and available by email and phone.
- Brookview: The Brookview facility, including the Backyard Indoor Playground, Golf & Lawn Bowling, and Three One Six Bar + Grill, will close at 4 pm Wed, Feb 23 and will be closed Thur, Feb 23. All businesses will reopen Fri, Feb 24 with regular hours. All curling leagues are canceled Wed, Feb 22 and Thur, Feb 23.
All essential City services will remain available, including police, fire, snowplow operations, utilities, etc.
Waste and Recycling Delays
Curbside traditional and organics recycling services will be delayed until Sat, Feb 25. Residents are encouraged to put their bins out Friday night once all plowing has stopped.
Residents should contact their garbage hauler if they experience service delays.
General Winter Storm Information
From Nov 1 to March 31, parking is prohibited on public streets and alleys from 2 to 6 am, daily. Parking is prohibited on any public street after a snowfall of at least two inches until the snow has been plowed to the curb line. Learn more.
Make sure your home is snowstorm-ready. Purchase supplies like food, water, generators, flashlights, space heaters, and other essentials in case you lose power or get snowed in.
Set thermostats at 65 degrees F or higher to prevent pipes from freezing.
Remember to use space heaters only on their recommended settings, keep them away from flammable items, and use the sleep setting so you don't forget to turn them off. Space heaters need to be plugged directly into an outlet, not an extension cord or power strip.
If your home loses power, do not use an oven, grill, fire pit, or propane heater indoors for heating. Use flashlights or other battery-powered lighting instead of candles to see at night. Generators need to be kept outside to prevent carbon monoxide from building up in the home.
Ensure your vehicle is stocked with extra warm clothing, a safety kit, and other essentials in case you get stranded on the side of the road.
We all share in the responsibility of keeping our roads safe. That's why it is very important for residents, especially children, to know what they can do to help snowplow operators:
- Plows travel slower than other vehicles. Reduce your speed and stay back 150 feet.
- Never drive into a snow cloud.
- Don't pass snowplow vehicles while they're plowing.
- Plows frequently back up at intersections. Stay back 150 feet until the plow truck has left the intersection.
- Don’t build forts or tunnels next to the road.
- Do not drive through a wing row (the snowbank ridge left by a plow). Your vehicle may get stuck and put you in a dangerous situation.
Learn more about the City's snow plowing priorities and other safety information.
Shoveling
Shoveling early and often during snow storms limits the chances of the snow on the ground turning to ice. Once the storm has passed and you’ve finished shoveling, you can assess how much salt you really need to use, if any.
Snow Blowing
- Always start your snow blower outside to avoid carbon monoxide fumes.
- Keep hands and feet away from the snowblower’s moving parts.
- To avoid damage or injury, don’t aim snow towards people, vehicles, or buildings, and keep children inside while snow blowing.
- If your snowblower becomes clogged, first turn off the engine off and wait until blades have stopped rotating. Use a tool or stick (never your hands or feet) to clear the clog. Clogged augers could have residual energy that can trap your hands even when turned off.
Salting
Most salt doesn’t work below 15 degrees. Sand is an alternative when temperatures are too cold. To prevent degradation, store salt away from air, light, and moisture.
If there is no ice left on your driveway, sweep up the remaining salt for future use and to keep it from flowing into storm drains.
- Make sure vents on the exterior of your home, such as gas meter vents, laundry vents, etc, are free of snow and ice.
- Clear a path to and 3 feet on all sides of the fire hydrants in your area. Taking a few minutes to clear out hydrants means firefighters can more easily see and quickly access the hydrant if there’s a fire.
- Place garbage and recycling carts in your driveway 3 feet behind the curb.
- Help plow drivers and postal workers by shoveling around your mailbox to ensure mail delivery services.