Winter is coming, and so is snow. But this US city has a trick to keep its downtown streets clear

This Michigan downtown turned up the heat for the better. In many US cities winter often brings snow-clogged roads and slippery sidewalks. But in Holland, a snowmelt system has helped keep downtown streets clear since 1988.

How does downtown Holland keep snow off its streets during winter?

The answer is the Holland BPW snowmelt system.

Waste heat from power generation is captured and used to heat water, which circulates through 400 miles of tubing laid beneath the pavement and sidewalks. The system pumps around 4,700 gallons of water per minute at 95 degrees Fahrenheit. It can melt about one inch of snow per hour at 20 degrees Fahrenheit, with winds of 10 mph.

The city’s official fact sheet states: “Heated water passes through distribution pipes and valves to a system of ¾” tubes spaced every 6” underneath streets and sidewalks.”

The cost

Snowmelt is not cheap. According to the official fact sheet, transmission lines cost $300 per square foot, while distribution tubing costs $40 per square foot.

The city charges from those who directly benefit from the system after assessments.

Holland gets an average of more than 70 inches of snow per year. The fact sheet puts the system’s coverage at about 24 acres, spread along approximately eight miles of streets and sidewalks.

The BPW snowmelt system is a closed system. Now what does that mean? This means that it circulates the same water over and over again.

The city describes it as the largest municipally owned snowmelt system in North America.

History

Downtown Holland business owners joined the city and BPW in efforts to revitalize downtown in the late 1980s and 1990s. Edgar Prince, founder of Prince Corporation, proposed an idea he had seen in Europe: a snowmelt system.

Prince contributed the first $250,000 toward the $1.1 million project.

The city’s website says the system sourced its water from Lake Macatawa before 2016. It now uses potable water from Holland Energy Park, which opened in 2017. This change has reduced sediment and should help reduce wear on the system’s valves.

Other benefits include less need for salting and plowing, along with a lower risk of slipping or skidding on the heated surfaces.

The city’s main snowmelt webpage lists 690,000 square feet of heated sidewalks and streets. It also lists around 190,000 square feet of privately owned snowmelt surfaces heated with water from the city’s snowmelt mains.

Holland on Ice 5k

The Holland tourism bureau lists 'Holland on Ice' for February 5–6, 2027, with the Snowmelt 5K on Saturday morning. Discover Holland Michigan website writes, "The entire 5K course for this family-friendly fun run/walk will take advantage of Downtown Holland’s snowmelt system, allowing racers a rare opportunity to compete in a winter race without worrying about snow and ice along the route."

Beyond Holland

Klamath Falls, Oregon, uses geothermal heat for sidewalk and bridge snowmelt systems. In Boise, Idaho, geothermal heating melts snow from some sidewalks, according to the US Department of Energy. Zeeland, Michigan, is looking to expand its downtown snowmelt system.