Snowplows and crews are ready –

cars off the streets will help

By Chuck Gibson

LOVELAND, OH (January 23, 2026) – Loveland Public Works crews and equipment are ready to face-off the first winter storm of 2026 with four big trucks, plows in place ready to roll when the snow starts falling.

Crew leader Rob Hayden lives right in Loveland and will be keeping watch out his door Saturday to be sure they are on the job as soon as the snow sticks. Eyes on it for sure, but they also use the latest radar and weather-tracking technology to be certain they are prepared for the arrival of storm. Keeping 108 lane miles of Loveland streets clear and safe for the community is top of the list when Old Man Winter flexes his muscles.

“We’ve got the shifts laid out,” said Hayden. “The crews know exactly what route they’re going to. We’re kind of playing it by ear when we’re getting called out. I live in town so I’ll just look out the door and when it’s starting to stick the crew will come in and we’ll begin.”

The current forecast indicates it will start sometime Saturday afternoon. The trucks are ready when the time comes. They look bright and shiny, clean and ready in the Public Works garage on Loveland-Madeira Road this Friday afternoon. No doubt the four big trucks with plows will look a lot different by this time Saturday when the snow has begun and the crews have hit the roads.

“The crews are four people,” Hayden explained. “Four big trucks will be out until it’s done and then we’ll have a lot more people go out and try to get everything cleaned up.”

Along with the guys who live right in town watching the situation develop, they monitor with radar. As soon as the snow begins to accumulate, they go in and get to it just because of the hills. We all know Loveland has some hills and the snowplowing crews give them priority during any snow event, but especially when a storm like this threatens to dump high amounts of accumulating snow – not to mention the chance of ice.

“We have a lot of hill situations we have to keep maintained and keep flowing,” Hayden said. “We can’t have backups on hills. Priorities are hills and main drags. In this kind of event, you just have to keep an eye on the weather. It’s definitely going to be the hills salted at all times.”

Hayden says the effectiveness is all temperature-related and they really can’t control that. The main focus is staying ahead of the situation on the hills. He named Rich Road, Lebanon Road, SR 48 going out toward Clermont County, Butterworth and Sentry Hill along with West Loveland headed toward the Kemper intersection, and neighborhood hills. As they continue to monitor the forecasts and radar, the latest update Hayden had late Friday afternoon called for 8”-12” beginning around 4pm Saturday and not ending until 10pm Sunday. The crews will be out working to clear the roads and keep you safe throughout the snowfall and beyond.

“The four big trucks will be out; they’ll be on the road at all times from whenever it starts until whenever it’s done,” said Hayden. “It’s going to be a long, probably 36-48 hours going non-stop. We have four people who will come in for 10 hours and then another four who will come in for 10 hours.”

They’ll continue to rotate and work those shifts with time to go home and sleep before returning for another 10-hour shift.  When that’s done, crews will come in with the smaller trucks to help get through the subdivisions. This storm presents a unique challenge with the below freezing temperatures in teens and single digits impacting the effectiveness of pre-treatment.

“It’s almost impossible to pre-treat,” Hayden said. “If you do, it may only last an hour and the roads will be snow-covered and too cold for the salt to even work. We’re hoping it works on hills.”

Historically, the Loveland Public Works crews have been among the best getting the roads clear and safe during heavy snowfall events. Their hard work and commitment to getting the snow safely off the roads makes a huge difference. At the same time, Hayden is quick to recognize how the help of the community impacts their success. His message is a simple one:

“Stay off the roads at all costs,” he said. “Just let us do our job. Try to keep your cars  out of the roads, keep them in your driveway if you can so we can get through. That way we can get everything pushed back. That helps prevent re-freezing.”

It’s supposed to be frigid cold all week. Keeping that snow pushed off gives them the best opportunity to avoid dangerous situations for all. It’s not just the main roads, hills and neighborhood streets, the crews will be clearing the municipal parking areas as well as around City Hall. That happens after the snow has stopped falling so they don’t have to repeat the process multiple times. There are exceptions to the rule with safety the first priority.

“We do have to keep an eye on the safety center just so the emergency vehicles can get out on Lebanon Road,” Hayden said. “We keep up with that. They let us know if they have a run and we’ll go help them out on the run.”

The message is clear: Stay off the roads, stay safe and let the trained Loveland snowplow crews get the roads and lots clear and safe for you as quickly as possible.

More about Loveland at: https://lovelandoh.gov/