The City is Ready, The Only Thing Missing is Snow

and crippled by multiple snow storms last winter, the city has beefed up its snow preparedness this year.

And while a more snow plowers, a snow melter and a are ready to go, the only thing missing is the snow itself.

This year, the city has more snow plows available than last year and will be using brine, on top of regular salt to prepare the streets for a slushy mess.

According to city spokesman Juan Melli, the department of environmental services has nine plow trucks—six pickup trucks with plows and three big salt spreaders with plows. The Hoboken Parking Utility and the parks as well as fire departments each have two trucks that the city can also use. 

Melli said also that the city will have a bobcat available this year. The city has also entered into an agreement to rent a snow melter, in case of a particularly heavy blizzard. The city has also made repairs to the city's front end loader.

Residents will also have a more defined role this year, Melli said, to keep the sidewalks shoveled. Hoboken's home owners must clear four feet or at least two thirds of the width of the sidewalk, whichever is greater. If the sidewalk is less than 4 feet wide, they must clear the entire width of the sidewalk, Melli said.

Since last year, the snow emergency routes have been re-defined, Melli continued. Last year, many of the emergency routes were full of snow after the Dec. 26, 2010 blizzard. Cars are not allowed to be parked on emergency routes during heavy snow fall.

On Friday, the National Weather Service is predicting a chance of rain in the morning, but a sunny—and dry—weekend is ahead.