Snow Information

Keeping County Roadways Safe

Snowy and icy weather can create unsafe conditions for motorists. The County is dedicated to treating and clearing county roadways during winter weather so you can travel safely. Our Public Services division, which is part of our Public Works Department, is responsible for snow and ice control operations along 448 centerline miles – or 1,000 total miles – of County roads within unincorporated areas of Boone County. (Centerline miles are a measure of the total length of the road. It does not account for both sides of a roadway, which may be single lane residential streets or double-lane roadways.)

Our Policy
The County updates our snow routes every year to account for new or changing roadways and traffic patterns. This helps ensure our team can efficiently and safely address snow and ice conditions. It also gives us the opportunity to review known “problem areas” in the County, and prioritize routes based on traffic volume, steep grades and other road conditions.

Our Fleet
The Boone County snow fleet includes 43 trucks. These trucks are different sizes and have different capacity, which helps give us flexibility on where and how to treat roadways. Trucks are equipped with snowplows and/or equipment to apply salt.

Time to Treat
The most common question we hear is “When is my street going to be treated?” That can be a tough question to answer because our response depends on weather conditions. Typically, it takes anywhere from six to eight hours per inch of snow to treat 1,000 miles of roadway. That timeframe can – and does – change based on the length of the snowstorm, road surface temperatures, precipitation levels, wind and more. This timeframe is only for the application of salt to roadways. It does not take into consideration plowing operations.

Plow Operations
Plowing operations are initiated when snow accumulation exceeds one inch. It takes considerably longer to cover each route. Our drivers must carefully and safely move the snow. It is a skill that requires training and precision. It takes roughly 12 to 16 hours to plow 1,000 miles of road surface.

During severe winter weather events, we will deploy all snowplows to priority routes. Secondary and tertiary routes will be addressed once primary routes are deemed passable. 

Boone County Public Works coordinates snow operations with Boone County Emergency Management, Boone County Sheriff’s Office and Boone County Public Schools. Route prioritizations may change based on the coordinated efforts of these agencies and emergency service needs.

How You Can Help
The best way to help snowplows, salt trucks and emergency responders is to limit travel as much as possible during snow events. A snow emergency may be declared, which also provides guidance and recommendations on when and where to travel. It’s important to keep in mind that a snow emergency does not ban travel to work. You should contact your employer during a snow or ice storm to determine if you will need to report to work. Learn more about snow emergencies

Here are a few additional tips to keep in mind during snowy or icy weather:

  • Park cars in driveways.
  • Give plows plenty of room to work – at least 200 feet.
  • Reduce driving speeds.
  • Increase space between cars to allow safe stopping on wet, frozen or snow-covered roads.
  • Avoid passing snowplows.
  • Do not shovel, plow, or blow snow onto public roads.

Responsible Agencies
The Boone County Public Services team is only responsible for county-owned roadways. The cities of Florence, Walton and Union are responsible for roadways within their city limits. Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) District 6 is responsible for clearing state-owned roads. Contact information and helpful resources are listed below. Please let us know if you have any additional questions about County operations.

Contact Information

Helpful Resources