Updated October 2027
Snow berm removal in Anchorage is the job that starts after the municipal plow comes down the street and leaves a ridge of packed snow across every driveway entrance on the block. The driveway was cleared in the morning, the plow came through later, and by evening there is a berm at the entrance a car cannot push through. It happens after every residential plow pass, all winter, and it is the most common reason people call about snow and property services in Anchorage between November and March. This guide covers why the berm is there, where the snow can go, what clears it, and whether a snow contract includes it.
In Short
The municipal plow pushes street snow sideways in a continuous windrow, and where that windrow crosses a driveway it becomes a berm of compacted, sand-filled snow that freezes solid within hours. It cannot go back into the street, so it has to be blown onto the property or hauled away. Highmark Services clears driveway berms in Anchorage with tractor-mounted blowers and hauls them when there is nowhere left to blow.
Why does the municipal plow leave a berm across the driveway?
A plow blade does not lift snow; it rolls it to the side of the street, and the windrow does not stop where a driveway starts. Everything the blade collected since the last gap lands across the entrance, compacted and mixed with the sand and slush the street was carrying. After a major storm the Municipality runs a residential plow-out, often in more than one pass, and those passes build the biggest berms. Municipal crews clear streets, not driveway entrances, so the berm is the property owner’s to remove.
The berm sets hard within a few hours because it is not fresh snow. It is compacted, carries road grit and meltwater, and holds cold in a dense pile. At 20°F a loose snowfall can wait until morning, but a berm at the same temperature is solid by the time the plow is three blocks down the street. A shovel bounces off it and a truck plow blade rides over the top. Timing controls the cost more than size does. A berm handled the same day is a quick blower pass; the same berm the next afternoon has to be cut apart.
Berms are larger on the side of the street the plow pushes toward, on corner lots that catch two windrows, and at the downhill end of a sloped street, where the windrow has collected the most snow.
Insider Advice: Before the first storm, clear a pocket about a car-length long on the side of the driveway the plow approaches from, on your own property. The windrow unloads into the pocket before it reaches the entrance, and the berm is smaller every pass all winter.
Can the berm be pushed back into the street?
Pushing the berm back into the street is generally not allowed under municipal rules, can bring a fine, and puts the snow right back across the driveway on the next pass. The same applies to pushing it across the street or into the intersection, where it blocks sightlines.
The snow goes onto the property or off it. Onto the property means blown or pushed to a spot clear of the walk, mailbox, hydrant, drainage path, and garage door swing, and on the downhill or downwind side of the entrance rather than the side the next plow approaches from, since snow stacked there feeds straight back into the next windrow. Off the property means loaded and hauled, which is where a tight lot ends up by January.
Which equipment clears a driveway berm?
A tractor-mounted snow blower clears most Anchorage driveway berms because it cuts through compacted snow and throws it past the driveway edge instead of piling it. Hauling is the fallback when there is no room left to throw. A truck plow is the weakest choice for a berm. The blade rides over a frozen one, and on a loose one it only moves the pile a few feet, usually into the spot the next berm needs.
| Tractor snow blowing | Truck plowing | Hauling | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frozen berm | Cuts through compacted snow and throws it | Blade rides over the top | Loader breaks it up, loads it out |
| Where the snow goes | Thrown off the driveway edge, no pile at the entrance | Pushed into a pile beside the entrance | Trucked off the property |
| Room needed | Open space past the driveway edge | Space to push and stack | None; snow leaves the lot |
| Gravel driveways | Shoes set above the surface | Blade scatters gravel if set low | No surface contact |
| Best fit | Most residential driveways through most of the winter | Open lots with room to stack | Tight lots, late season, berms with no room left |
Residential tractor snow blowing handles the berm and the driveway in the same visit, which is why it is the standard residential tool in Anchorage. The choice between blowing and hauling comes down to what sits past the driveway edge. A driveway with lawn on one side can be blown all winter; a driveway between a fence and a neighbor’s garage needs a haul by mid-season. On gravel, the blower’s shoes ride above the surface so the gravel stays out of the gutter.
Remove the berm before sanding the entrance. Sand on top of a berm locks into the ice, and a sanded berm that sits a week becomes a ridge no blade will take.
Does a snow removal contract cover berm removal?
Whether a snow removal contract covers berm removal depends on how it is written, and it is the most useful question to ask before signing. Residential snow blowing contracts usually treat the entrance as part of the driveway, so a berm that is there at the time of the visit gets cleared with the rest. The open question is the plow-out berm that arrives after the crew has already been through. Some contracts include a return pass on plow-out days; others treat it as a called service. Either works as long as it is written down.
Who does snow berm removal in Anchorage?
Highmark Services provides snow berm removal in Anchorage for residential driveways and private road entrances, using tractor-mounted blowers that cut through the frozen berm and throw it clear without leaving a pile at the entrance, with hauling when the lot has no room left; call 907-782-6339 or visit highmarkservicesak.com to schedule a berm visit or add berm removal to a snow contract. Berm visits are scheduled by the municipal plow-out rather than by snowfall, so the entrance is cleared after the city plow has passed instead of before.
Frequently Asked Questions
How high is a typical plow berm in Anchorage? A typical residential plow berm in Anchorage runs 1 to 3 feet high after a routine pass and can reach 4 feet or more after a full plow-out following a major storm.
Can I shovel a frozen berm? A frozen plow berm can be shoveled only by breaking it into blocks with an ice chopper first, and once it has set overnight it is usually faster to have it blown or hauled.
Can I drive through a plow berm? Driving through a frozen berm high-centers a sedan and tears the plastic off the underside of an SUV, because the sand and ice in it make it harder than it looks from the window.
Get the entrance cleared on plow-out days
Highmark Services clears driveway berms in Anchorage with tractor-mounted blowers and hauls them when the lot is full, and residential snow contracts can include a plow-out follow-up so the entrance is handled after the city plow, not before it. Call 907-782-6339 or visit highmarkservicesak.com to add berm removal to a snow contract before the first plow-out of the season.