Why Many Hudson Valley, NY Towns Refused to Plow Snow This Week

Frustrated drivers complained of snow-covered roads on Thursday and wondered where all the plows were.

As I was leaving the radio station after my show yesterday I crossed paths with another coworker who had just driven in from the New Paltz area. When I asked how the roads were she just shook her head and said "terrible". Although roads across the river were plowed and salted, she complained that snow that had fallen in the City and Town of Poughkeepsie was left untouched.

As I made my way home I passed several stranded vehicles that were unable to navigate the slippery road conditions. A fishtailing pickup truck angrily threw his car into park and put on his hazards after unsuccessfully making it up a small hill on East Cedar Street.

I continued my journey and witnessed a very close call between a garbage truck and Jeep Wragler that couldn't stop, a pickup that spun out getting off Route 9 and many white-knuckled drivers who looked regretful that they ever left the house. Pulling into my neighborhood I could barely make out where the road stopped and my yard began. It was obvious that no one had plowed anything.

Why Hudson Valley Towns Did Not Plow This Week

It turns out many towns throughout the Hudson Valley made the decision not to plow during Thursday's storm. We received complaints from many listeners in Dutchess, Orange and Ulster counties who were angry about the condition of their roads, demanding answers.

According to the Town of Poughkeepsie Supervisor Rebecca Edwards, keeping snow plows off of the road was a very deliberate decision. She explained in an email that the specific nature of this storm lent itself to an untraditional response.

This is a tough storm--quite a bit of ice is coming at the end, as forecast, and if you plow away the snow before the ice hits, you end up with a truly dangerous skating rink. So our Highway Department, like those of most neighboring towns I believe, waited to plow so they could make sure to remove the ice and snow together. We didn't want a layer of ice that could persist for the rest of today through tomorrow morning.

While leaving snow on the roads during the morning commute isn't optimal, it's way better than risking a black ice situation that could have led to many serious accidents.

Luckily, the freezing rain and ice didn't last very long and plows were deployed just after noon, quickly clearing roadways for the afternoon drive home.