Snow Events

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Harford County Snow Plow Tracker

Click here for a printable version of what you need to know when it snows

Snowplow priorities


  1. Emergency roads
  2. Main roads
  3. Secondary roads and cul-de-sacs

When a snow emergency plan is in effect


  • Vehicles traveling on the roads must be equipped with snow or all-weather radial tires or chains.
  • No parking is permitted along designated snow emergency routes.

County-maintained roads exclude:


  • State roads (numbers routes e.g. Interstate 95, MD Route 543/Fountain Green Road)
  • Roads within the incorporated municipalities (Town of Bel Air, City of Havre de Grace, and City of Aberdeen)
  • Private roads

Pushing procedure


Drivers are required to widen or push snow back curb to curb to open inlets and drainage courses to prevent melting snow from becoming packed ice or causing flooding problems. Also pushing snow curb to curb allows mail carriers to deliver mail and placement of snow behind curb for future snow events. Parking your vehicles in the street greatly hinders snow removal operations and risks property damage as large equipment cannot maneuver efficiently.

Our recommendations


  • If you have a driveway, use it. The more cars off the road, the better and faster plowing can proceed, and the less likely it is a vehicle will be plowed in, splashed by salt spray, or become the victim of a collision.
  • Remove all portable basketball hoops (backstops) from the Harford County right of way to help expedite our snow removal operation.
  • After you have shoveled, stand facing the road and shovel snow to the right into the yard instead of into the road. This will help avoid the frustration that occurs when a snowplow covers your driveway with snow.
  • If you do not have a driveway, park on the even numbered side of the road in even years, and odd numbered side of the road in odd years, as close to the curb as possible. Move to the other side of the road after the plow has cleared it. Example: The 2019-2020 season was an even year, and the 2020-2021 will be an odd year.

Keep Vehicles Off Road

Keep Vehicles Off Road Diagram

Park on 1 Side

Park on 1 Side of the Road Diagram

How Not to Park

How Not to Park Diagram

What to expect when it snows


  • 0-6 inches: It takes eight to 16 hours following the end of a 0-6" snowfall to plow and/or treat every county road once.
  • 6-12 inches: After a 6-12" snowfall, county roads should be cleared within 24 to 36 hours. At that time, one pass should have been made through all county roads.
  • 12-18 inches: After a 12-18" snowfall, our crews will complete the work in 35 to 40 hours.
  • 18-24 inches: After an 18-24" snowfall, one pass should have been made through all county roads in 48 to 72 hours.
Please be patient! Roads are plowed according to their priority and reviewed at the end of each season. Snow fighters work around the clock until all 1,075 miles of county-maintained roads are passable. We use a force of approximately 201 employees and 158 pieces of snow removal equipment for routine snowplowing and we have available 20 additional pieces of equipment for use when conditions dictate. We store 20,000 tons of salt to get the job done.