A Stark Snow Divide Between Rockville and MoCo
Following the snowstorm eight days ago, Montgomery Fix visited two adjacent neighborhoods in central Montgomery County to examine how snow removal compared on streets separated by jurisdiction.
On one side of Rock Creek sits Manor Woods, a residential neighborhood in unincorporated Montgomery County. Directly across the creek is Twinbrook, a neighborhood within the City of Rockville. They are remarkably similar: 3- and 4-bedroom, single family homes on about a third of an acre, with two-lane streets broad enough to accommodate curbside parking without significantly impeding traffic.
Although the two communities are separated only by a creek winding through a thin stretch of Rock Creek Park, a survey of their streets today revealed dramatically different conditions.
The Areas Surveyed
In Manor Woods we surveyed Amberwood Lane, Amesfield Court, Greenspan Lane, Manorfield Road, Parkvale Road, and Parkvale Terrace. Across Rock Creek in Twinbrook, we examined Broadwood Drive, Fletcher Place, Forbes Street, Grandin Avenue, Gruenther Avenue, Marshall Avenue, Humphrey Avenue, and Shetland Street.
Photographs appearing throughout this article were taken in both neighborhoods between 9:00am and 10:00am on the morning of February 2, 2026.
Twinbrook: Clear, Consistent, and Navigable
In the Twinbrook neighborhood, streets were uniformly well plowed. Every street surveyed had at least one and a half lanes of clear vehicle passage, with many offering a full two lanes. Road surfaces were largely free of ice patches, and curb edges (except where vehicles had been parked) were cleanly and neatly cleared.
The result allows two-way vehicle movement and streets that could easily accommodate regular traffic, emergency vehicles, and school buses.
Manor Woods: Narrow Lanes and Hazardous Conditions
Conditions in Manor Woods stood in sharp contrast. On most residential streets, plowing resulted in a single, narrow lane with jagged, uneven edges. Snow debris was piled haphazardly along both sides of the roadway, with collapsing mounds encroaching back into the driving lane. Ice patches and hardened snow lumps were present within the lanes themselves, creating hazardous and unpredictable driving conditions.
In many cases, only one vehicle could pass at a time. On narrower streets, drivers were forced to stop and negotiate which vehicle would reverse to allow the other through. School buses would have a tough time in these areas.
Same Storm, Different Governments
The contrast raises an obvious question: Why did snow removal outcomes differ so significantly in two neighborhoods that are immediately adjacent? The answer lies in responsibility. Streets in Twinbrook are maintained by the City of Rockville, while streets in Manor Woods fall under the authority of Montgomery County government. Rockville clearly did a superior job. Why that is, and what Montgomery County can learn from it, will be the discussion of several high-level investigations, beginning tonight with a livestreamed townhall by Councilmember Will Jawando, followed by a full-blown public inquiry led by the Council President, Natali Fani-González, to be livestreamed tomorrow with agency heads in attendance.
Asked to comment on Rockville’s snow removal efforts, Rockville City Councilmember Adam Van Grack provided the following statement:
“The Rockville Mayor and Council, City Manager, and City Staff all take pride in our city's serious commitment to city services, especially snow removal. Whether it's advance preparation, communication during winter weather events, plow driver training, or following up with areas which need additional snow removal assistance, our city heavily prioritizes ensuring that our residents can access roads and pedestrian areas as best as possible when winter weather occurs. While I know that we can always do better (we're not perfect), I know the City has been working daily since the storm began to make roads and pedestrian areas as accessible as possible, and we will continue to do so throughout this week.”
The conditions observed suggest that differences in preparation, execution, and follow-up play a significant role in snow removal outcomes. While no jurisdiction’s response is flawless, the contrast between city-managed and county-managed streets raises broader questions about standards, consistency, and accountability in the delivery of basic public services. The responses should be studied carefully, but quickly, so the lessons learned can be used to improve performance before the next storm. Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his burrow in Gobbler's Knob, Pennsylvania, this morning and saw his shadow.
