For the second day in a row, Twin Falls city leaders are encouraging residents to avoid city streets and stay home if possible.
Residents who require emergency assistance should call the City of Twin Falls Dispatch Center at 735-4357. If residents experience a life-safety emergency, they should call 9-1-1 immediately.
Twin Falls, the Idaho Transportation Department, and the Twin Falls County Highway District say they are deploying all available resources to continue clearing roadways. Street workers have been working on rotating shifts to plow and sand roads since 11 a.m. Tuesday. However, officials say the amount of snow that fell in short-period of time over the past two days, strong wind gusts Wednesday evening, and single-digit temperatures, all created hazardous conditions that have exhausted local, county, and state resources.
City street crews have cleared most of the high-priority streets within the city limits, which include high-trafficked arterials such as Blue Lakes Boulevard, Washington Street, Addison Avenue, and Eastland Drive; as well as streets that support emergency vehicles and facilities.
City workers began plowing secondary-priority residential streets at 8 a.m. Thursday morning. As workers plow those streets, residents are reminded be patient, since crews are working to clear some 650 miles of roads and streets in Twin Falls. Snow will be plowed from the streets to the curbside, which may temporarily block residents’ driveways and sidewalks.
If possible, residents are asked to stay home. Snow plows must operate at a consistent speed, and stuck or slow vehicles force plows to stop their operations
Residents should also expect delays in services such as garbage pick-up and emergency water services, officials said. Many roads and alleys are still blocked with snow, which makes it difficult -– and sometimes, dangerous -- for garbage and recycling trucks to access.
Although the city continues to respond to calls regarding frozen meters and pipes, it may take more time for city water crews to respond. To prevent frozen water meters and lines, residents are reminded to leave a small trickle of water running from a faucet; ensure that lids to water meters are closed and exterior access to crawl spaces are covered; and insulate and cover any exposed or exterior pipes and faucets.
