Snow Removal
Protecting Our Guests & Residents
Due to Winter Park's location high in the Rocky Mountains, much of the focus of the Public Works Department centers on snow removal and keeping the roadways safe and open for residents and guests. To achieve that goal, we want to provide as much information as possible to educate the public about our policies and programs and how to stay safe while navigating vehicles in potentially hazardous situations.
The Town bases its snowplow route priorities on the following factors; Emergency Accessibility, East/West Connections Thru At-Grade Railroad Crossings, Traffic Volume, Population, Bus Routes (school as well as public transit), Schedule of Access Needed to Local Amenities and Commerce.
Please note that parking is NOT permitted on the streets from November 1 to May 1 as this can impede snowplows.
Priority 1
Plow and sand arterial streets, these roads are the primary routes most used to access locations and are the main bus routes. The category includes: Vasquez Road, Van Anderson Drive, Forest Trail, Elk Trail, Elk Court, Winter Park Drive, and parts of ROAM and Baker Drrive.
Priority 2
Plow and sand collector streets, these roads are secondary routes used to access arterial streets and are bus routes as well. The category includes: Kings Crossing Road, Ski Idlewild Road, Beavers Lodge Road, Arapahoe Road, Lions Gate Drive and access to most subdivisions and the downtown business corridor.
Priority 3
Plow and spot sand residential streets and cul-de-sacs, these are low volume roads and are not typically used as thru routes. This category includes: Alpine Lane, Leland Creek Circle, Leland Creek Way, Idlewild Lane, Timber Drive, Foxtail Drive, Pine Cone Lane, and residential portions of Old Town.
PlowOps Snow Plow Map
The Town utilizes PlowOps to monitor how often and how recently roads have been plowed by our Public Works plow drivers. Residents can now get a better idea of what to expect before venturing out on the roads. The map illustrates which roads have been plowed in the last hour, last 1-2 hours, 2-3 hours, 3-4 hours, or 4-12 hours.
*This is for informational purposes only. We are striving to provide the most accurate, real-time information available.
No On-Street Parking Overnight
There is no overnight on-street parking within the Town from November 1 to May 1 except in designated areas. This allows snow plows to do their job effectively. Residents and guests of Winter Park need to be patient and recognize that there is bound to be some inconvenience during the winter months. Snow operations are labor-intensive, and equipment does fail on occasion. Snow removal crews work long hours to keep the streets clear and safe. We ask for everyone's cooperation. Please remember that plow trucks cannot stop or turn as readily as most vehicles. Please allow ample space for Town snow removal equipment to maneuver freely. The Town plows begin at 4 a.m. and continue until midnight.
What is a Snow Windrow?
Snow windrows are created by plows during roadway snow operations, and they can often block residential driveways. Creating windrows in front of driveways is unavoidable for our plow drivers. Since our drivers have many miles of roadways to clear during major winter storms, homeowners are responsible for clearing access between their driveway and the street through these windrows. 
Important Details to Know About Snow Windrows:
- The Town does not return to plow snow windrows after a storm.
- In most cases, the Town will not be able to get to 'bare pavement'. Operators will work to push as much snow as possible to provide a passable street surface.
- Operators will make every effort to limit throwing snow on driveways and/or developing 'snow boulders'.
Information Resources
You can pick up a 2025-26 Snow Removal Operations Brochure at the front entrance of Town Hall.
If you have additional questions, please get in touch with the Public Works Department at 970-726-8081 x 222.
Public Works Department
Jamie Wolter
Public Works Director
jwolter@wpgov.com
(970) 726-8081 ext. 212
80500 US Highway 40
Winter Park, CO 80482
Monday - Friday
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
