- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
Scranton Struggles with Snow Removal After Worker Callouts
City council and residents give mixed reviews on Scranton's snow cleanup efforts following a major weekend snowstorm.
Jan. 28, 2026 at 4:55pm
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
Scranton's snow plowing and removal response was hampered by over one-third of Department of Public Works employees calling out on both Monday and Tuesday, as well as limited participation in overtime shifts. While some residents praised the DPW's efforts, others noted that certain neighborhoods seemed neglected, with one councilman saying he didn't see a plow on his street until 6 a.m. on Monday. The city administration cited challenges like extreme temperatures, high snow totals, and the city's narrow streets and steep hills, but said they have been working to supplement city resources and clear priority areas like bus routes.
Why it matters
Scranton's snow removal challenges highlight the difficulties municipalities can face when dealing with major winter storms, especially when staffing shortages limit the ability to fully clear streets. This raises questions about how cities can better prepare for and respond to severe weather events that may become more common due to climate change.
The details
Scranton has 18 plow trucks in its fleet, at least 14 of which were available during the storm. However, the number of plows in operation was limited by the number of available personnel, as the city's DPW had 40 staff members call off on Monday and 33 call off on Tuesday. The labor contract for DPW does not require mandatory overtime, and there has been limited participation in overtime shifts. The city has been working to supplement its resources, contracting out additional help and coordinating with the school district and transit system to prioritize clearing roads.
- The storm dumped about 10.5 inches of snow on Scranton on Sunday into early Monday.
- The city administration said the DPW has been running continuous overtime shifts since 4 a.m. on Sunday morning.
The players
Paige Gebhardt Cognetti
The mayor of Scranton.
Eileen Cipriani
Scranton's business administrator.
Patrick Flynn
A Scranton city councilman.
Tom Schuster
The Scranton city council president.
Sean McAndrew
A Scranton city councilman who did a ride-along with the DPW during the storm.
What they’re saying
“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”
— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)
“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”
— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)
What’s next
The city council said they would pose numerous questions to the administration about the city's preparation for the storm and response to it, both during the snowfall and in the days after, and how the city would prepare for the next storm.
The takeaway
Scranton's snow removal challenges highlight the difficulties municipalities can face when dealing with major winter storms, especially when staffing shortages limit the ability to fully clear streets. This raises questions about how cities can better prepare for and respond to severe weather events that may become more common due to climate change.
