Denver to deploy smaller plows to clear residential streets

The City of Denver will deploy smaller plows to help clear residential streets. The Winter Storm is expected to dump 7-14 inches of snow to the Denver metro area by Wednesday evening. 

The smaller plows won't have de-icer and can't plow all the way to the pavement, but instead will make a path down the middle of the street. The idea is to help avoid ice ruts from forming in the aftermath of the storm. 

The plows will make one pass down side streets during their shift. 

"The plow blades on these plows hover a couple of inches off the street, so they'll shave the top few inches off but won't bring it to bare pavement," said Nancy Kuhn, Communications Director Denver Public Works.

The city requires that sidewalks be cleared of snow and ice, for businesses it's once the snow stops falling and for homeowners, up to 24 hours after the snow stops falling. 

First Alert Meteorologist Ashton Altieri called for a First Alert Weather Day starting at 5 p.m. Tuesday. 

The First Alert Weather Team has increased the snow forecast for the Denver and Boulder areas to 6-12 inches and now expects as much as 14 inches of snow on the far east and southeast sides of the metro area for locations such as the airport, SE Aurora, Parker, Franktown, and Elizabeth.