When Portland removes snow, where does it go?
Feb. 20—Portland's had a blanketing lately — just look at the snowbanks.
The glorious return of a traditional Maine winter has brought roughly two feet of snow to Portland in less than three weeks, according to the National Weather Service. A Presidents Day weekend storm dropped more than 9 inches onto Portland, piling on top of the remnants of another storm, which blanketed the city with more than 10 inches a few days earlier.
In response, the city has issued total and targeted parking bans to clear and remove the graying sleet before it overwhelms the roads.
So where does it all go?
Portland uses three dumping sites across the city to store its excess snow, said Mike Murray, director of the Public Works Department. There's one by the Portland International Jetport's pink parking lot, another in the median of Franklin Street and a third just off the intersection of Somerset and Chestnut streets, he said.
"We dump at a site until it reaches capacity, then move to the next location," Murray said in an email Wednesday morning.
All told, the city had hauled roughly 800 truckloads worth of snow in 2025, which amounts to more than 29,300 cubic yards, as of Wednesday morning. That's enough to cover a football field, including the end zones, with nearly 14 feet of snow — or enough to fill more than 402,000 L.L.Bean Boat and Tote bags (size XL).
About 500 of those truckloads, or 18,300 cubic yards, came after the latest winter storm, Murray said. Most of that snow ended up at the Somerset Street lot, he said.
There, chalk-gray snow and sleet stood in a lopsided triangle formation Wednesday afternoon. It's peak, topped with some of the dirtiest snow, stood taller than nearby retailers. Excavator tracks scarred its long side.
That dumping site is nearly at capacity, Murray said.
After last week's storm, city workers hauled more than 250 truckloads worth of snow — roughly 9,400 cubic yards of the stuff — over an eight-hour period.
"It's a tremendous amount," Murray said in a phone call the following day. "It was a busy night."
During that removal, workers piled snow into a lot off District Road by the Portland International Jetport, Murray said. Both the city and airport store snow there, he said.
Signs with red arrows and lettering directed drivers to the "SNOW DUMP": a handful of white and gray dunes dotting the lot. None appeared to be more than 10-15 feet tall Wednesday.
Though all roads in the city are plowed, only some are selected for snow removal, once the streets become so narrow that they create hazardous driving conditions and hinder the travel of public safety vehicles, Murray said.
Things hit that point earlier this week, according to the Portland Fire Department, which urged residents to be mindful of where they park their cars in a post on social media Tuesday.
"Following this weekend's storm, our crews have encountered numerous impassable streets in Portland due to improperly parked vehicles," the department said.
The next day, parking was banned on roughly 40 roads for targeted snow removal, though that figure fluctuated as the day went on, Murray said. Crews dumped snow from that day's cleanup effort in the Franklin Street median, he said.
Some residents on the streets and online have questioned why workers can't simply push snow into the water, but doing so could violate state law.
City spokesperson Jessica Grondin said the city has a set of "very specific regulations" to follow regarding dumping snow in the water.
"We are allowed to dump clean snow from the waterfront piers and lots in the water, but only for up to 72 hours after a storm," Grondin said in an email Tuesday. "We do not truck any snow to the waterfront nor do we dump any snow from Commercial St. in the water."
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