Story County, IA Parking Rules: Snow Removal Parking Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Paved route plow hours
- 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., excludes weekends/holidays
- Truck plows normally off
- 7:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. (paved)
- Gravel road plows normally off
- 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Private drives
- county will not clear them
- Advised speed reduction
- at least 25 mph below normal limit
- One-lane road advised speed
- under 10 mph
- Enforcing office
- Story County Engineer, Secondary Roads
Summary
In unincorporated Story County, the County Engineer runs snow and ice clearance under Chapter 30 of the county code. Paved routes get plowed roughly 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays; trucks are pulled off between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless conditions demand more, and private driveways are never cleared by county crews.
motorists are advised to reduce their speed at least 25 miles per hour below that legally permitted or advised under normal conditions. In respect to roadways that have only one lane open, further extreme watchfulness and caution should be exercised by motorists, and their speed should not exceed 10 miles per hour. ... The truck-mounted snow plows and spreaders will not normally be in operation between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. The trucks may be called off the road if weather conditions reduce visibility to hazardous working conditions, in the professional judgment of the Engineer or his delegated representative. ... This sequence of service shall be performed only between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. each day, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays observed by County employees. ... The County will not clear snow from private drives. Normal snow removal operations may result in snow being deposited in private drives. Snow from private drives shall not be placed on the roadway or shoulders.
Full Breakdown
67. on gravel). , excluding Saturdays, Sundays and county holidays. There is no guarantee of a dry pavement condition, and the code does not set a time limit after a storm for any of this to happen. Motorists are told to drop their speed at least 25 miles per hour below the normally posted limit during active snow conditions, and to hold under 10 miles per hour on any road still down to one lane. The County will not clear snow from private drives, and any snow it deposits there while clearing the road is not its responsibility; residents likewise may not push or place snow from their driveway back onto the roadway or shoulder.
Damaged mailboxes are only replaced with a plain galvanized box on a 4x4-inch wood post, and only if the county's own equipment struck it (not flying snow), with claims due by the end of the third day after the damage. The Board Chairperson or the Governor can suspend the whole sequence during a declared disaster, and the County Engineer may suspend service entirely when a storm is severe enough to overwhelm equipment and crews.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 30 is a service-level policy rather than a citation scheme for residents, but it is explicit that placing snow from a private drive onto the roadway or shoulder is not permitted, and the county disclaims responsibility for hazards created by snow pushed there by others. Motorists who ignore the posted speed reductions during plowing operations remain subject to ordinary traffic enforcement; the chapter itself creates no separate fine schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Story County clear snow from my private driveway?
What hours do county plows run in unincorporated Story County?
Is there a deadline for Story County to plow after a storm?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Story County
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