How Much Does Snow Cost a City?

When a weather event like Winter Storm Fern hits half the country, some cities are far more prepared than others. Warm-weather cities shut down for days while cold regions sweep away feet of snow in hours. Sure, it’s efficient, but how much does this snow removal cost cities?

Millions. Minneapolis shells out $13 million for snow and ice removal annually. However, this is money well-spent, as the city gets more than 50 inches of snow every year. In the Northeast, Buffalo, New York, one of the snowiest cities in the U.S., spends $8 million on snow removal every year.

These huge budgets aren’t restricted to major cities either. Nearly every town in the snowy regions of the country has at least one snowplow truck. For example, Ashland, a city of 20,000 in the heart of Ohio, paid $180,000 for a basic commercial plow truck with a snowplow and salt dispenser.

Some cities get creative with their snow removal. The small city of Holland, Michigan, installed over 190 miles of tubing underneath its streets and sidewalks in the downtown area. Known as the largest publicly-owned snowmelt system in the U.S., the network of tubes melts snow without having to move a single shovel. However, this comes at a high price tag: somewhere between $20,000 and $80,000 every year (in addition to their other snow removal expenses throughout the rest of the city).

Other cities are also considering expanding their winter weather responsibilities to sidewalks. In 2024, Chicago proposed a plan that would include clearing snow from sidewalks along with streets. The cost for such a venture? Between $1.1 million and $3.5 million per year. While a pilot program was launched, the program was eventually discontinued.

These expensive winter weather costs aren’t just restricted to municipalities, either. Airports also spend enormous amounts on snow removal, with O’Hare International Airport in Chicago using 250 machines to clear snow and ice from runways. The snow is dumped into machines that melt and dump the water on-site, all to ensure flights aren’t delayed at one of the busiest airports in the United States.

Outside of one-time machinery purchases, salt is the largest expense every snow season. Chicago was paying $22 million as far back as 2009 for rock salt. Salt is used to melt ice on sidewalks and roads, although it’s less effective if it’s colder than 15 degrees. It is also readily available across the country, not just in snowy areas.

In contrast to these high budgets, the entire state of Tennessee sets aside $30 million for snow removal. This makes sense, as Nashville averages less than 5 inches of snow a year.

So while warmer Southern cities get to skip the high yearly expenses for snow removal, the downside is essentially shutting down the area for days when a major winter storm like Fern rolls through. While it can be annoying to wait for the city plow to finally come by, residents can at least take some comfort in knowing their tax dollars are being spent on other priorities.

source https://www.mensjournal.com/news/how-much-does-snow-cost-a-city