Yonkers was born and raised in Colorado Springs, clearing snow from storms in Alaska before returning to Colorado. 

“That’s a whole ‘nother beast,” Yonkers said of Alaska. “You’re talking feet of snow, where here we’re dealing with inches.” 

Snowplowing is not Yonkers’ only job. As is the case with nearly all of the city’s drivers, he works in a day-to-day operations role, operating a snowplow only when needed. 

Yonkers is the North District drainage crew lead, and on non-snow days, he spends most of his time working on the many stormwater systems around town. Other snowplow drivers work in asphalt, signs and markings, and in the city’s “Keep it Clean” program.

Yet, when the flakes start flying, Yonkers is called to the snowplow. 

“A couple of months ago, it was a Sunday, and I was on my way to play golf,” said Yonkers. “Then a snowstorm blew in out of nowhere on the Sunday afternoon, and I had to stop and ended up plowing ‘til noon, and then through the night.”

He works the graveyard shift, from 12am to 12pm, with sometimes up to fifty other workers plowing at the same time, each covering assigned zones around the city. 

When his shift is over, Yonkers is replaced by the day team, who take to the streets until it’s Yonkers’ turn again. The 24-hour-a-day cycle continues until a storm is finished.

Yonkers’ son is also a snow plower for the city, though he covers the more northern parts of Colorado Springs.

The city’s snowplow operators work alongside state snow plowers from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), who plow the highways and major roads. Parks and Recreation also operates a handful of snowplows that help with side streets and trails. 

The rest is done by privately contracted plowers who clear driveways and neighborhoods for paying businesses, HOA’s and individual clients.

While there are many licensed snowplow drivers on the road at any given time, getting behind the wheel requires extensive practice and specialized licenses. 

According to Yonkers, the City of Colorado Springs requires its drivers to have at least 100 hours of logged truck driving practice before they are eligible to take a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) test. 

“It’s not like driving a car,” said Yonkers. “These things don’t turn like a sport Porsche or anything like that.”

Anyone operating a commercial vehicle of 26,001 pounds or more in the state of Colorado is required to have a CDL. 

Considering the weight of the plow, the truck,the approximately 240 gallons of Apex deicing liquid and the four to five tons of sand or “slice” loaded onto the back of the truck, a city snowplow can weigh between 35,000 to 36,000 pounds, he said.

Yonkers’ snowplow comes with a detachable plow, three different sets of headlights, and massive containers for deicing materials.
Photo: Chase McCleary, Rocky Mountain PBS

“They’re a big weight, which is just another reason it’s hard to stop in the snow on a moment’s notice,” said Yonkers. 

This is one of many reasons Yonkers said that tailgating a snowplow is a bad idea. In order for the Apex and sand or slice (which Yonkers referred to as “material”) to be spread evenly, plows must drop them at speeds below 25 to 30 miles per hour. 

Additionally, pushing wet, heavy snow requires time, technique and a well-trained snow plower’s eye.

For example, Yonkers is frequently on the lookout for “wagon tracking.” “Wagon tracks” refer to the tire tracks left by cars driving through unplowed areas, an indication that those roads required a little more attention.

“Wagon tracks” are indicators that certain snow-covered but well-traveled roads require snowplowing.
Photo: Chase McCleary, Rocky Mountain PBS

“You see, I know a whole lot of traffic has been through here,” said Yonkers, pointing to a pair of parallel-running wagon tracks. “Yeah, there’s a lot of wagon tracking here, so we might want to get it plowed because people are taking [this road], and it will help them get through quicker.”

Yonkers is watchful for “boulders,” large clumps of packed, wet snow that require a good flattening, as well as “windrows,” the lines of mounded snow leftover after a plow has driven through a snow-covered road.

This is why snowplows sometimes drive with their plows in the air. Windrowing can be an indication that another plow is working in the area, and doubling up on a certain location might lead to miscommunication and, in turn, more work. 

“You might think that you’re helping another guy out, but he may be trying to work his road over to the curb or putting down material. And if you come through and make a pass, it can mess up his whole routine or push the material he just put down off the road,” said Yonkers. “ It can just make double the work.”

Plows typically don’t start spreading sand or deicing material until the snow has lightened or completely stopped falling. If they drop material too soon, it runs the risk of being plowed off in the snow. 

Once the deicers have started taking effect, it is time for a little “oatmealing,” which is the process of “flushing off” slushy snow (“oatmeal”) into street-side storm drains. 

This process might continue for days. The long hours, dodgy driving conditions and impromptu nature of the work can make it difficult to recruit new snowplow drivers. 

“You got to have a mindset to drive,” said Yonkers. “It’s not something that somebody just wants to wake up one morning and go, ‘Man, I just want to go plow snow all night.’”

In heavier snowstorms, drivers are often plowing the same roads multiple times in the same shift, which can be tiring and demoralizing. 

“Snowin’ so hard over Skyway, I can barely see,” said a younger driver on Yonker’s radio during their shift clearing Thursday’s winter storm. 

Thursday’s snowstorm dumped between up to 23 inches of snow on Colorado Springs, making driving conditions difficult.
Photo: Chase McCleary, Rocky Mountain PBS

“Yes sir, everything is covered again. Looks like I haven’t even started.”

Yet Yonkers finds motivation in the idea that his work supports families, like those with young children trying to get to school or parents trying to get to work. He is helping the city and its citizens continue their lives, regardless of weather conditions. 

And he enjoys waking up with Colorado Springs during the “magic hour,” when cafes start brewing coffee and bakeries start heating their ovens.

“You get to see business owners coming to open up their stores, lights turning on, stuff like that,” said Yonkers. “It’s nice to see things getting going and people starting their day.”

And while the job can often be taxing, Yonkers is inspired by the small acts of kindness and words of support he occasionally receives from the public, like a free cup of coffee at the gas station or a “thank you” from a stranger.

“Sometimes people honk and yell at you and tell you to get out of the way,” said Yonkers, “and so those people that tell you they appreciate what we do for this city kind of helps. It makes you feel a little bit better about your job.”

Chase McCleary is a multimedia journalist at Rocky Mountain PBS. Chasemccleary@rmpbs.org.