Residents dig out in northern Colorado Springs ahead of more expected snowfall in the area
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo (KRDO) - Residents in the Briargate neighborhoods of northern Colorado Springs spent Thursday morning and afternoon digging out of what they claim to be upwards of 12 inches of snow.
"I was out here about two and a half hours ago trying to get rid of all this snow because it was, I'd say, close to a foot of snow," explained Craig Rauenzahn, a resident of the Briargate area since 1996.
The aftermath of a Colorado snowstorm is a familiar foe to him.
"It starts to melt, and it's hard to get through the snow blower, then it jams, so you got to clean it out. So you got to get out early," said Rauenzahn.
Jenna Boatright, who lives just down North Union Boulevard, says that plows never come through their streets, but they're used to it.
"We all help each other shovel. We all help get out of the snow. Usually, the roads don't see a ton of help, but eventually, we'll get there." said Boatright, a mother of four children in District 20 schools, who were alongside her shoveling Thursday morning.
The City of Colorado Springs says that they will only get to plowing neighborhood streets, if there is at least six inches of snowfall, once they've cleared off primary and secondary roadways first.
You can find an interactive map of Colorado Springs here, that shows the routes that plows take in the city, and what those primary or secondary roads are in your area.
Boatright says it's just how it is in Colorado, and she loves the snow.
"We do appreciate the main roads getting plowed because that's what we need to get out and do stuff now," Boatright said.
If you live on a steep hill or live at the bottom of one, you can submit a maintenance request with the City of Colorado Springs by going to this link and then clicking the "Roads and Sidewalks" option, and then "Snow Removal on City Streets". There you will provide an address, your phone number, and a note for crews.
The City stresses that those requests should only be made if you have a legitimate road safety concern due to snow, and also reiterated that they will only be able to send those crews out once their top priorities of primary and secondary roads are completed.
