On a scale of 1 to 10... how would you rate snow plowing in Wisconsin? (Milwaukee: houses, live in)

[MSPLove]

.... In comparison to other states you've visited during winter?
They do use rock salt on the roads, unlike my state.

[Milwaukee City]

In Milwaukee a 15!!!! However when I have traveled to less populated counties like Jefferson or FDL I give it a 2! Milwaukee's traffic helps a lot, in rural counties you are basically counting on the plows to clear the roads but when you have hundreds of thousands of cars driving over the street it helps a lot.

[MSPLove]

Most of my time in Wisconsin was spent as a kid and only a year and a half I drove there as an "adult." (Adult, in legal terms only. ) I have to say, I think they took quite good care of the roads in Rice Lake. We got some bad snow, but I had an economy-size vehicle and not once do I remember thinking "man, they need to get the plows out here and take care of this." (In Montana, on the other hand, I've thought it a number of times.) I would even drive the backroads to work in the next town. lol! (I probably wouldn't do that now. haha) Even on those paved country roads I don't remember it being an issue.

[TAB1452]

I currently live in Omaha...and compared to the plowing here in Omaha I'd rate Wisconsin a 15 overall...

I disagree completely with Milwaukee City as usual...I've driven in Milwaukee and Madison enough in winter to know that whether its the snow plowing in general or the lack of wind or what not blowing snow off the roads but the cities are usually 10x worse but that makes a lot more sense because there's almost no where to go with the snow like they do in the country...

I think it's all personal preference in terms of where you have driven or what you have grown up with...country driving to me is 100x easier then in the cities come winter time...

[Milwaukee City]

Originally Posted by TAB1452

I disagree completely with Milwaukee City as usual

What do you mean "as usual"

I live close to downtown where every street is a busy street and I always use the freeway. Maybe it's just where I live but by day 2 all the snow is usually gone from the streets and the streets are just wet. I don't do a lot of country driving anymore but when I did or when I take back roads to MN they all seem to be fine except for you major drift here and there.

[BacktoNE]

All depends on where you are and where you have to be. Side streets in Appleton are left a mess for up to 24 hours, which I don't understand. However, the main roads are done very well.

My home State varies greatly. My home town would get a negative number, but just over the line in the 2 neighboring towns, they would each get a 15. I lived in one of those towns for 4 years, on a small dead-end street with just 13 houses. It was plowed every couple of hours during the day and at least twice overnight. They did a fantastic job.

[gold*dust1]

They usually try their best in the Mad-City (sometimes discussing better methods after the fact) and snow happens .. so I'll give er a 10.

[dreamhunter65]

Main highways the 10+ town live in a 8 and side streets a 2 as now will not plow unless 3 inches of snow and our winter rain storms screwed them up bad. The highways use salt and calcium chloride so they seem to really stay good.

[susancruzs]

I'm pretty impressed with the plowing in Two Rivers/Manitowoc. I like the way they don't leave piles on the corners where you pull up to a stop sign.

In Illinois, they would just keep piling it up and corners would get very dangerous. Here they haul a great deal of snow away.

We do drive on snow packed side streets a great deal in the winter time but the area I lived in before never plowed down to bare pavement, he didn't want to damage the speed bumps or blacktop. We were at his mercy, private streets.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Minnesconsinite

.... In comparison to other states you've visited during winter?
They do use rock salt on the roads, unlike my state.

Depends on the volume of traffic the road typically sees. Pretty much all the streets in the major and semi-major metropolitan areas are cleared off quickly and thoroughly, and salted -- even the residential side streets. Same with state highways and most county highways. On side roads in rural areas the clearing is less thorough -- one good scrape with a plow, and only if it's more than a few inches, and maybe a layer of sand or cinders. Which is pretty much all you need for roads that see maybe 10 cars a day. I've never had any trouble getting around in Wisconsin any more than 36 hours or so after a major snowfall.