Winston-Salem, NC Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)

Unlike northern cities, Winston-Salem does not have a mandatory residential snow-removal ordinance. Under Code Chapter 46 and the Streets and Sidewalks provisions in Chapter 66, property owners are encouraged but not required to clear snow and ice from public sidewalks abutting their property. Snow events in the Piedmont Triad are relatively infrequent and typically melt within a few days. The city plows public streets by priority route: Priority 1 (major thoroughfares, hospital routes, emergency services), Priority 2 (collector streets and school routes), Priority 3 (residential streets) as equipment becomes available. The city does not clear residential driveways or private sidewalks. In the Downtown Business Improvement District (managed by Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership), commercial property owners are expected to clear sidewalks to maintain pedestrian access. Liability for slip-and-fall injuries on an unshoveled residential sidewalk generally falls on the property owner under North Carolina premises liability law, so clearing is still advisable.