Published on February 05, 2020

Snow Gates - An overview

What are they?

Many cities across the country employ a hydraulically powered “gate” that fits onto the ends of plow blades and can rise or fall at the press of a button. The goal is to keep snow from spilling as it normally would onto driveways.

The devices cost about $30,000 each. Gates are attached only to larger pieces of equipment, such as graders and loaders. They aren’t affixed to smaller dump trucks because of the shape of the blades and the need for drivers to see where the snow is being pushed.

How are they used?

Operators lower the gate to protect the entrances and exits to driveways, and minimize berms, the source of many citizen complaints during heavy snow. When plowing, even with snow gate equipment attached, the operator will make three passes on the street. One pass in the center without the gate and one pass on each side of the road with the gate engaged. A snow gate allows the capability to move some of the snow from one place to another aiming to move it to a more acceptable place. The goal of clearing roadways always remains the main objective.

How many do we have?

The city of McCall has a total of nine pieces of equipment out on the roads to deal with our area’s snow events and a half dozen snowplow gates. City of McCall first implemented the gates in year 2012.

Where are they?

In McCall, the city’s gated plows are deployed on all residential streets. That may come as no comfort to residents with driveways that open onto minor or secondary arterials who are still being served by equipment not outfitted with the hydraulic devices.

What are the downsides of snow gates?

Roads plowed with gated equipment are often narrower than those plowed with more traditional equipment and the gates can potentially slow down crews.

The bigger issue, however, occurs when that gate is lifted up. If your car is parked on the uphill slope after a driveway, or if that’s the location of your mailbox or garbage can, the snow that tumbles out could leave you with an annoyance and/or a narrower road.

What should I do to help plow drivers?

• The city of McCall says these few tips may help your experience and the plow drivers.
• They ask that you park off the street and right of way.
• Place your garbage cans on the corner of the driveway on the left side of the driveway as you face the roadway and inside the berm. This allows plows to move through neighborhoods unimpeded. It also gives them a place to consistently dump the snow which is of course the goal.
• Snow removal teams said homeowners should strive to shovel the snow on their sidewalks and driveways onto their lawns and not into the streets, where it’s simply picked up and dumped back in.
• To limit the amount of snow that could pile up in front of a driveway, the city recommends homeowners consider removing their excess snow to the right as they’re facing the roadway. That will help keep the snow from potentially overloading the blade and spilling snow back into the driveway.
• Have your plow contractor deposit snow on your property and away from the road to avoid the narrowing of your driveway and roadway

My driveway still got plowed in and has a berm. What gives?

First check that you live within McCall city limits on a residential road not an arterial road. Those busier roads are being served by plows without the gate.

Even if a gated plow is on your street, the devices aren’t perfect, road officials are quick to point out. The blades on the front of plows can only hold a limited amount of snow, and that amount is lessened with warmer temperatures and heavier, wetter precipitation. That means McCall heavy snows are rarely able to be handled by snow gates.  The success of a snow gate is dependent on each individual snow event.

In heavy snow it’s going to reduce the size of the berm, but the gates don’t ever eliminate the berm. It may not look like it’s less, but it is. One look at a berm before and after and we are all thankful for those snow gates and the crews who operate them.