Preparation for a snow storm is critical to a city’s response. But when that storm hits at rush hour that preparation can be put to an extreme test.

The City of Kirkland managed to keep all major thoroughfares open while 13 side streets had to be closed during the snowstorm last week that paralyzed most of the region.

“In the big picture it (the response) was made easier by equipment that was purchased a few years ago,” said Interim Public Works Director Ray Steiger. “It was made a little more difficult by the fact that it hit at rush hour. But the equipment allowed us to get out ahead of it.”

Altogether, the city has the potential of six plows at its disposal, along with sanding and de-icing dispensers. Steiger said all the equipment was in use during the storm and five tons of salt and 14 tons of sand were used. Overall the city spent around $2,000 on materials. The city even had to go to a hardware store to get more salt, as the normal delivery was curtailed by the storm.

The west side of the Norkirk neighborhood was hit really hard with nine streets closed due to icy conditions and street grade. For a period of time all the streets between Ninth Ave. and 15th Ave. between Market Street and Second Street were closed.

“With the heavier volume streets we had to err on the side of caution,” said Steiger.

He also said that the city spent about $13,000 for 240 hours of labor for the storm response, bringing the total cost to around $15,000.

City officials posted a PDF map of the closed and potentially closed roads on the City of Kirkland Web site.

Many roads in the annexed neighborhoods of Kingsgate, Juanita and Finn Hill, which are in unincorporated King County, were closed due to the snow, including Juanita Drive N.E. Next fall, the area will be Kirkland’s responsibility.

The main thoroughfare over Finn Hill had to be shut down as snow began to stick to the road much earlier than most other roads in the area thanks to the elevation. On the morning of Nov. 22, Juanita Drive N.E was a parking lot as five cars spun out and were forced to chain up in the middle of the road. At the same time, many roads in Kirkland were not white but just wet and did not see accumulation until later in the afternoon.

Finn Hill and the Bridle Trails neighborhood will be the highest elevations in Kirkland after annexation at nearly 490 feet, but Juanita Drive N.E. has a steeper grade. Most of Kirkland is at 200-300 feet.

“We are going to need to assess those needs in advance,” said Steiger of the city’s potential snow response after annexation on June 1, 2011. “We will probably be able to address those needs quicker (than the county) since we are already here.”

As for emergencies, an Evergreen Hospital spokesman said that the Emergency Room was slower than normal during the storm and there were no major injuries or deaths as a result of the storm. The Kirkland Police Department reported 34 car accidents from Nov. 19-28. The number of accidents is nearly double the same time period last year, according to Reporter records.

There were also no reports of power outages in Kirkland but garbage service was disrupted.

The Lake Washington School District (LWSD) closed all campuses on Nov. 23 and 24.

“We will wait until late winter, when we have a better idea of how many total snow days we will have over the whole winter, to make a determination of how the days will be made up,” LWSD spokesperson Kathryn Reith said in an e-mail. “Usually, if it’s three or less, we simply add the number of days on to the end of the school year. If it’s more, then we have to start looking at other options, like cancelling teacher training days.”

Lake Washington Technical College closed afternoon and evening classes on Nov. 22 and remained closed through Thanksgiving.