During a storm
When the plow comes, what happens if a contractor does not show, and how much snow a winter really brings.
- Do I have to call my snow contractor when it snows?
- What do I do if my snow contractor doesn't show up?
- When will my parking lot be plowed before we open?
- How many times will my lot get plowed in a northern NJ winter?
- How much snow does northern New Jersey get in a winter?
- Do snow plows work during the storm or wait until it stops?
- What should a snow removal service report include?
- What happens when snow piles take over my parking spaces?
- When do I need snow hauling instead of just piling snow on the lot?
- Do you clear entrances, stairs and ADA routes by hand?
Do I have to call my snow contractor when it snows?
Not with a proper seasonal contract. Service starts automatically when snowfall reaches the trigger depth written in the contract, and you get a report afterward.
We track every storm and dispatch on the triggers in your plan. Crews are alerted more than an hour before snowfall is expected to start.
If a contract requires you to call for service, you are the one watching the weather at 3 a.m. That is worth knowing before you sign.
More: Seasonal snow management
What do I do if my snow contractor doesn't show up?
Call them once with a deadline, then call another commercial contractor for emergency service for that storm; don't wait the storm out. Write down the times and take photos, because the missed visit matters for both your contract and any slip claim.
We run commercial emergency dispatch across Sussex, Passaic, Bergen, Morris and Warren counties and can often reach a property inside the same storm. Call (973) 459-0074 with the address, the property type and what has to open first. Emergency service is priced per event.
After the storm, read your contract for what it says about missed service. If no-shows keep happening, the lasting fix is a contractor with the fleet and the route capacity to cover you.
More: Emergency storm response
When will my parking lot be plowed before we open?
By the clear-by time written into your contract, such as 6 a.m. or before your first shift. The earlier the time, the higher the price, because it puts your property at the front of the route.
During long storms, crews run continuous loops to keep drive lanes and entrances open, then make a final cleanup pass after the snow stops. The contract should say which one you are paying for.
Properties open around the clock, such as medical sites and distribution centers, need service during the storm rather than a single push at the end.
More: Commercial snow plowing · Medical and healthcare sites · Schools and childcare
How many times will my lot get plowed in a northern NJ winter?
At a 2-inch trigger, about 4 to 6 plowable storms in an average recent winter across Sussex, Passaic, Bergen, Morris and Warren counties, based on the last 20 seasons of NOAA records. A 1-inch trigger means more visits, and salt runs for ice come on top.
By county, the recent 20-season averages at 2 inches are about 5.8 storms in Sussex, 5.4 in Passaic, 4.5 in Bergen, 4.2 in Morris and 5.7 in Warren, where the station record is only 11 seasons long.
Averages hide the spread. Some winters bring one or two plowable storms and others bring well over ten, which is why seasonal pricing exists.
How much snow does northern New Jersey get in a winter?
On average, about 19 to 36 inches a season depending on the county: roughly 36 inches in Sussex and Warren, 30 in Bergen, 29 in Passaic and 19 in Morris, from NOAA station records. Single seasons range far wider.
Each number is one weather station's record, so treat it as a guide for the county rather than a promise for every hill. The Sussex station's record ends in 2022.
Our snowfall history page lists the station, the years covered and every season's total.
More: County snowfall history
Do snow plows work during the storm or wait until it stops?
Both, for commercial properties. Crews start once snowfall reaches the trigger depth, keep lanes open with repeat passes during a long storm, and make a final cleanup pass when it ends.
Waiting until the end of a big storm means plowing a foot at once, which is slower and leaves the lot unusable for hours. Plowing in loops keeps the property open.
Walkways follow the same pattern with hand crews, because entrances and ADA routes are where people walk while it is still snowing.
More: Commercial snow plowing
What should a snow removal service report include?
The date, the times crews arrived and left, which areas were plowed or shoveled, what material was applied and where, and the conditions at the time. That record is what answers a slip-and-fall claim later.
Ask for reports after every event, not a monthly summary. A monthly invoice does not tell anyone whether the front walk was salted at 5 a.m. on the 14th.
More: See a sample service report · Records for public snow contracts
What happens when snow piles take over my parking spaces?
The piles get stacked higher with a loader, moved to a planned holding area on site, or hauled away. Relocating is cheaper; hauling is for when the property has run out of places to put snow.
Piles should never sit where meltwater runs across a walkway or drive lane, or where they block sight lines at an exit. Those locations are decided in the pre-season site plan.
More: Snow hauling & relocation · Where snow piles should go · Apartment and multifamily lots
When do I need snow hauling instead of just piling snow on the lot?
Hauling is needed once the piles take parking spaces out of service for the rest of the winter. Relocating snow to an on-site holding area is the usual first move, and trucking it off site is the fallback when the property has run out of room to put it.
A pile in the corner of a lot melts across the pavement during the day and refreezes at the low point overnight, which is where the ice sheet nobody salted comes from. Stacking tighter, or moving piles to a corner that drains away from traffic, often fixes that before any hauling starts.
Our crews run wheel loaders and heavy trucks, so the same team can stack, relocate or load out the snow. Off-site hauling costs more and makes the most sense where every space earns revenue, such as a retail lot in December. We price both options so you can decide storm by storm.
More: Snow hauling & relocation · Where snow piles go on a commercial lot · Contact JRW
Do you clear entrances, stairs and ADA routes by hand?
Yes. Dedicated sidewalk crews use snow blowers, shovels and compact equipment on entrances, sidewalks, stairs and ADA routes, while the trucks handle the lot, so both are done when the doors open.
Entrances, fire exits, dumpster access, mailbox clusters and bus stops get called out in the site plan, so nothing is discovered missing at 6 a.m.
Walkway treatment is chosen property by property. Calcium-based ice melt keeps working at lower temperatures than straight rock salt, and it is applied at measured walkway rates, which is what protects concrete and entry flooring. Every application is logged for your records.
More: Sidewalk & walkway clearing · NJ sidewalk snow rules · Contact JRW
Other topics: Cost & contracts · Sidewalks & NJ town rules · Slip-and-fall, liability & insurance · Salt & ice · HOAs & property types
Want the answer for your property?
We walk the site for free and send a written proposal, usually within a few days. Or call (973) 459-0074.