Snow and slippery conditions
The municipality is responsible for snow and ice removal for the sake of traffic safety and accessibility. Priority is given to pedestrian and cycle paths, thoroughfares, main streets and bus routes.
When do we plough?
Along the municipality's priority footpaths and cycle paths, ploughing starts when there is 3-5 cm of snow. Our ambition is to have the priority footpaths and cycle paths cleared at 07:00 on weekdays*. Other footpaths and cycle paths will be plowed during the day.
Ploughing starts at 04.00* when there is 3-5 cm of snow on the priority street network. The priority street network includes thoroughfares, main streets and bus routes. Ploughing starts on other streets when there is 10-15 cm of snow.
*when there is 3-5 cm snow at 02:30.
A plough turn takes about 12 hours, which means that your street may have much more than 10-15 cm of snow before the plough truck gets there. Normally, snow clearance starts at 4am after a heavy snowfall.
The municipality calls out 45 snow clearing vehicles during the "big ploughing turn", in addition about 85 vehicles plough the individual roads and in the service areas. When there is persistent snowfall with large amounts of snow, we sometimes have to take the priority roads again before we can get to your street. The goal is to have all streets and roads plowed within 12 hours.
Unfortunately, damage can occur to fences, mailboxes, hedges and more. If an accident occurs, the property owner should notify customer services as soon as possible. We will then come to you, inspect the damage and together we will investigate what caused the damage and whose responsibility it may be. If you mark hedges and fences with marking sticks, this will help us. We do not compensate for damage to misplaced letterboxes and dustbins.
Good to know!
- Avoid parking on the street when it snows, but you can use marked parking spaces. Vehicles that significantly impede snow clearance and are parked incorrectly may have to be moved.
- Please place your letterbox so that newspaper deliverers and postmen can reach it from their vehicles. Trash cans should be easily accessible on your garbage collection day. During the winter, both the mailbox and the trash cans can be moved and adjusted based on the growing plow bank.
- Mark (with sticks or sticks) low fences, hedges, bushes or other items near the property line that may be difficult for machine operators to see as the snow depth increases.
- Remove any tree branches and shrubs that grow out over street level lower than 3.6 metres. This is also very important for our visually impaired residents.
- Do not shovel snow from your property onto the street. It can cause a traffic hazard and risks ending up on your neighbour's driveway when the plow truck arrives.
- Make sure that what belongs to you is not outside your property line. This could include hedges, branches, paving, scooters, trailers, construction etc. Property that is misplaced and damaged during snow clearance will not be replaced.
The map shows the pedestrian and cycle paths that are prioritised for snow clearance.
Slippery conditions
Sanding/graveling is done primarily for pedestrian and bicycle traffic, at traffic lights, roundabouts, hills and curves. Residential streets are sanded/graveled only in extreme slippery conditions. In the case of flash flooding and supercooled rain, when everything is sanded/graveled, the duration of the operation is approximately 12 hours.
Good to know about cycling and walking in slippery conditions
- Shoes with sturdy soles provide better grip in winter.
- Studs help you keep your footing when it's slippery outside.
- Winter tyres on your bike make winter cycling safer.
During the period November 1 to April 30, property owners can collect sand and gravel free of charge - for domestic use - at the municipality's delivery points. We fill on Fridays. You can collect in a bucket can or other container. Filling a trailer is not allowed.
- Skellefteå, at the sand silo at the junction Torsgatan-Boviksvägen and at the storage room on Stallgatan.
As well as at the warehouses in:
- Ursviken, Mekanvägen 50
- Bureå, Sinusgatan 3
- Lövånger, Vattenverksvägen 38
- Burträsk, Skolgatan 1
- Kåge, Storgatan 54
- Byske, Maskingatan 14
- Jörn, Strandvägen, at the fire station
- Boliden, at the recycling center
You can also pick up sand and gravel at all our recycling centers when they are open.