Kennewick, WA Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)

Kennewick sits in an eastern Washington climate with infrequent but occasionally significant winter snow events. The city's snow-and-ice policy, published on go2kennewick.com, asks property owners to: shovel sidewalks immediately after a snowfall and before ice forms; shovel snow into the yard rather than into the street (where it interferes with street plowing); clear sidewalk ramps at corner lots so pedestrians and children can cross; and dig out adjacent fire hydrants for emergency access. The city recommends Calcium Chloride ('hot melt') over rock salt (sodium chloride) because it is less damaging to concrete and plant material. Unlike larger Washington cities, Kennewick has not codified a mandatory sidewalk snow-removal ordinance with a specific deadline (e.g., Seattle's hours-after-snowfall rule). The general right-of-way maintenance obligation arising from KMC Title 12 (Streets and Sidewalks) and the duty not to create or maintain a hazardous condition that interferes with pedestrian travel along the public sidewalk remain in effect, and a sidewalk obstruction caused by accumulated snow or ice that injures someone may create civil liability for the abutting owner under common-law principles preserved by RCW 4.24 and state premises-law decisions. The city's snow-and-ice control operations on streets are handled by Kennewick Public Works on a priority-route basis (arterials and emergency-response routes first). The street-priority program does not include residential sidewalks. Owners who cannot shovel are directed to call 2-1-1 to find community resources.