Cities like Orem start early, as they have more than 23 parks where the sprinkler systems need to be blown out and shut down.

The city parks were taken care of by the end of October, including the closing of outdoor bathrooms for the winter. To handle the roads, brine is added to salt to make the de-icing mixture. Brine is formed by pre-wetting the rock salt and sticks to the pavement better than salt alone.

“We always prepare for the worst and want to make sure we’re ready. We have established a solid routine and we are ready for winter weather,” said Tyler Peay, Public Services Division Manager. “Our salt bin is chuck full and we’ve already started making the brine.”

The storm water management department is busy getting leaves out of the gutters around the city and encourages residents to avoid sweeping their leaves into the gutters. Those leaves can interfere with water drainage and clearing the streets after storms.

Courtesy Bob Yeoman

Residents are also asked to take in their garbage cans as soon as possible after they are emptied and avoid parking along the street during a storm.

When the snow flies, the snowplows will be ready to clear the roads. That is a hefty request as there are 550 miles of lanes of road in Orem, kept clean by 15 snowplows hauling about 3,500 pounds of road salt.

In Vineyard, the focus is on preparing open spaces and parks for inclement weather.

Parks and Recreation staff have been busy winterizing the city’s Splash Pad at Grove Park, as well as irrigation systems, park restrooms, soccer goals and nets. The staff will also do a deep cleaning of all equipment. Trees throughout the city are being trimmed to prevent downed wires, according to Kathryn Newman, city spokesperson.

“Vineyard keeps its pickleball courts and basketball courts open throughout the winter, so if a nice day comes along, we encourage residents to go out and enjoy these amenities,” Newman said. “Vineyard also plows its trails so that residents can keep running, walking, biking, or skating throughout the winter and enjoy views of the City’s open spaces and Utah Lake shoreline.”

Snow removal is done by employees from the public works department. They also work with the Utah Department of Transportation to coordinate snow removal on collector roads. Vineyard follows Safe Routes to school for snow removal, prioritizing main roads and school routes.

“We’d like to remind all residents to drive carefully during icy and snowy weather, plan ahead, and allow yourself extra time. Check your tires and make sure your vehicle is properly maintained for winter,” said Naseem Ghandour, Vineyard’s Public Works Director.

The city will not clear the roadways in subdivisions where vehicles are parked on the street, following the Parking of Motor Vehicles on City Streets During Snow Removal city ordinance.

For Provo, it is the Parks and Recreation department adjusting their work to better meet seasonal needs.

“As the weather changes in the fall and turns colder, Parks and Recreation facilities are kept open as long as possible until freezing temperatures require winterization. Staffing levels are adjusted throughout this time to match the maintenance needs at these outdoor recreation facilities,” said Doug Robins, assistant director of Parks and Recreation.

Parks and Recreation crews maintain city parks, trails, cemetery, sports fields, splash pads, the golf course and other public areas.

Many of the peak season laborers are local college students who pursue other avenues beginning in September. Gradually, work forces are reduced, leaving only a handful of full-time staff by November. In many department operations, staff is reduced by almost 90% from the peak season.

The grounds crews value the winter months as a critical time to get things done. Winter is important because peak season tasks, such as mowing and trimming, are not required. This allows greater focus on work projects that are needed but have been saved for that time of year.

According to Robins, this can be the most efficient time to accomplish tasks that can’t be performed at other times.

“Our capability to work on projects during the winter is second to none and weather rarely stops our staff from making progress,” Robins said. “The winter months are also prime opportunities to perform tree pruning and removal as most trees are dormant and respond well to pruning work before bud break in the spring. Winter storms also are common that cause damage to trees. Many tons of leaves and debris are also swept, raked, and hauled debris hauled away.”

During winter storms, the city depends on Parks and Recreation crews to clear snow and ice from the public facilities and fire stations throughout Provo. This allows first responder teams to meet emergencies effectively.

Provo residents are encouraged to reduce high energy bills and, for fire safety, avoid space heaters, unattended fireplaces, de-icing cables in your gutters and more. Residents are also encouraged to winterize sprinkler systems and monitor water consumption to be aware of any potential frozen water line damage and or leaks.

In the case of a snow storm, city crews are always monitoring current weather conditions and snowplow crews are on call.

The priority is to clear heavily trafficked streets including arterial and collector roads. After this is accomplished ,priority then shifts to residential and secondary streets. UDOT has their own snow removal crews who take care of state-owned roads — which includes I-15, State Street, University Avenue, Geneva Road, and parts of University Parkway, Center Street, 500 West, and 300 South in Provo.