City of Fort Wayne prepared for forecasted snowfall

The City of Fort Wayne Street Department has begun converting the tanker trucks they’ve been using for leaf pickup into snow plows.

News release from the City of Fort Wayne:

City Prepared for Forecasted Snowfall
Leaf collection could be delayed due to plowing

Fort Wayne, Indiana (November 28, 2025) – To prepare for the snow event predicted Saturday through Sunday, the City of Fort Wayne Street Department has begun converting the tanker trucks they’ve been using for leaf pickup into snow plows. As a result, this early season snow event may delay leaf pickup. Residents are encouraged to find off-street parking so trucks can blade as close to the curb as possible.

The city is divided into eighteen snow routes with each route assigned a minimum of two trucks. Streets in each route are prioritized as one (arterials), two (collectors and Citilink bus routes), and three (residential). Priority one streets are the first streets to receive plowing and salting to ensure that emergency vehicles and law enforcement have safe modes of travel on city streets and roads. Whenever the priority one streets are deemed safe for travel during or after a snowfall, the city’s plow trucks begin operations on the priority two streets. After these streets are completed, trucks will move in to residential streets if there is an accumulation of three inches or more of snow. If during plowing operations on priority two or three streets it begins to snow again and priority one streets become slippery, trucks will be dispatched back to those streets as needed.

While no snow event is exactly the same, as a rule of thumb it usually takes 10-12 hours AFTER the snow stops falling to plow and salt priority one and two streets. Residential streets generally take 48 hours to plow, assuming the plow trucks can continue working on those areas and don’t have to move back to priority one or two streets.

The Street Department is responsible for 1,200 miles of streets and roads. More information about Street Department efforts can be found at www.cityoffortwayne.org/snow.

Related links:

• Click here for the latest posts on this winter storm.
• Download a map of the City’s Snow Plow Routes.
• 2018 City of Fort Wayne Snow Policies and Procedures
• Shovel Smart! National Weather service infographic.
• Listen to your heart when battling winter weather

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