Snow Removal in Florence, MT

Who plows the roads around Florence?

It depends on the road, and three public agencies are involved. Missoula County Public Works says the Montana Department of Transportation plows highways like US 93, so the highway through Florence is on the state's system. Ravalli County says it plows county maintained roads on nine routes covering more than 550 miles, starting with the major collector roads and then moving to the less traveled ones.

North of County Line Road you are in Missoula County, whose Public Works department lists Florence among its route areas. It says crews begin plowing outside city limits between 5 and 6 a.m. on weekdays after a snowstorm, with priority 1 routes first: school and bus routes, school-area roads, high traffic routes, and roads with hills or curves. It also says there is no guarantee of maintenance outside the crew's regular work hours, so check the forecast before a weekend storm.

Does the county plow my Florence road?

Do not assume it does. Ravalli County's road department keeps a list of county maintained roads, and its FAQ adds that other roads may be state or privately maintained, and that there are many miles of platted county roads the county does not maintain. A road drawn on a subdivision plat as a county road can still be one that no county plow visits.

So look your road up on the list or call the department at (406) 363-2733. If it is on neither county's list, the road's owners are usually the ones arranging its plowing. Our guide on who is responsible for plowing a private road goes through how that usually works. It is general information, so for a dispute over who owes what, ask an attorney.

How much snow does Florence actually get?

Nobody can give you an official number. NOAA's 1991-2020 normals list a station called Florence 3.7 SE, but it reports precipitation only, with no snowfall normal. The closest figures are on either side of it. Stevensville, to the south, has a normal of 17.1 inches of snow a year, about 6.8 inches of it in December, 4.0 in January and 3.0 in February. NOAA marks the Stevensville figure Provisional because it has only 12 years of data behind it, so treat it as a rough guide. Missoula International Airport, to the north, has a normal of 43.0 inches.

That is a wide gap, and we would rather show it to you than pick a number for Florence. What we can say is that a property on the valley floor and one on higher ground toward the mountains should not assume they get the same winter. Our guide to how much snow Missoula and the Bitterroot get has the fuller station data.

How many plowable storms should I plan for?

Fewer than you might expect on the valley floor, based on those same stations. Stevensville averages about 5.3 days a year with an inch or more of snow, 2.5 days with 2 inches or more, 1.6 days with 3 inches or more, and about one day every two years with 5 inches or more. The Missoula airport averages 13.8 days a year with an inch or more.

This shapes how you should buy service. If most of your snow arrives as small events, the trigger depth in your agreement decides how many of them get cleared at all. Ask what happens with a one-inch snowfall that then freezes. Our comparison of seasonal contracts and per-push pricing covers how each one handles a light winter.

Why does ice matter so much here?

Because it stays cold long after the snow stops. At Stevensville, the nearest station to the south, the normal low stays under 20 degrees in December and January, and the average count is about 175 days a year with a low at or below freezing. Afternoon melt on a sunny drive has plenty of cold nights to turn back into ice.

That is why clearing and ice management are separate parts of the job. Low spots, shaded stretches and the ground below a snow pile are where a drive gets slick. Our guides to black ice on driveways and walkways and where to pile snow explain what to watch for, and the ice melt guide covers products.

Can you clear a long gravel drive or a private road in Florence?

Yes. Our snow and 24-hour storm services cover driveways, parking areas, private roads, sidewalks and ice management for homeowners, businesses, HOAs and property managers, on routes set before the season. For a shared lane, see our private road plowing service. A single owner's home is covered under residential snow removal.

Gravel takes more care than pavement, because a blade set too low moves the surface into the yard. Mark the edges, culverts and anything else a plow could hit before the ground is white (see snow stakes and markers and plowing a gravel driveway). If your drive crosses open ground and fills back in on windy days, our guide to drifting snow on rural driveways is worth reading before the season.

What happens when a storm brings trees down?

Snow is only part of the risk. Ravalli Electric Co-op names high winds, heavy snow and ice storms across the Bitterroot Valley as hazards for its lines, and the same weather can put a limb across your drive. Our crews respond 24/7 to urgent tree and storm calls, and our emergency tree and storm response page explains what that includes. To reduce the odds before winter, read our guide to snow load and winter tree care.

If anything is touching a power line, stay well away from it and call 911 and your utility. Do not try to clear it, and do not let anyone else near it.

When should Florence owners set up snow service?

Before the first storm, because routes are set ahead of the season and a drive is easier to walk and mark while you can still see it. Our older page on snow and storm response for Florence homeowners covers how seasonal arrangements, snow storage and gravel drives work in more detail, and the Montana Winter Property Guide gathers everything else worth doing before and during winter.

Tell us what you need to be usable by what time, and we will tell you honestly whether we can commit to it. You can see what else we do locally on our Florence service area page. Call (406) 215-7319 or request a free estimate.

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