High-tech snowploughs and AI help US cities clean up from big storms

Snow removal vehicles plough through snow covered pathways at Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pa., on Feb 23, 2026. — The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP

Residents of Syracuse, New York – America’s snowiest city – once barraged a service hotline with street neglect complaints during blizzards, even if ploughs had passed two hours earlier but the work was hidden by fresh snow.

Now public trust seems to be rising as Syracuse and other cities across the US integrate upgrades such as video monitoring, GPS mapping and artificial intelligence into snow operations that once relied almost entirely on manual planning.