The City of Apple Valley's plowing standard is to plow snowfalls of approximately two inches or more. Lesser amounts may be plowed or only require the application of de-icing chemicals or a sand / salt mixture depending on weather conditions.
The city is subdivided into 13 plowing districts. Public Works uses up to 30 plowing units to clear snow. A full plowing operation for all 173 miles of roadway requires approximately 10 hours to complete for moderate snowfall conditions.
Major arterial and collector streets are plowed first, followed by residential streets. An additional plow route may be added to continue clearing major roads while the other plows are working on residential streets. Loaders and four-wheel drive pickups are generally sent out at the same time as the snowplows but may not be used during certain snow removal operations based on weather conditions and snow accumulation. When dispatched loaders will typically begin snow removal in cul-de-sacs. The four-wheel drive pickups will remove snow from city parking lots, with police and fire lots as priorities, before moving on to assist in cul-de-sacs.
Cul-de-sacs are plowed to the center whenever possible, with the intention of bulk snow storage in this area. Exceptions may be made after identifying a special need or circumstance. Road conditions, weather forecasts, and other factors are evaluated when making decisions regarding plow operations.