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❄️ SnowClear
How It Works
Everything you need to know to report and view winter road conditions.
What is SnowClear?
SnowClear is a crowdsourced road and sidewalk condition map for Rhode Island. Anyone can report what they see, and everyone benefits from real-time community knowledge during winter storms.
No account required — reports are anonymous.
📍 Reporting Conditions
Quick Report (Single Point)
- Tap anywhere on the map where you want to place a report
- A popup appears — select a condition: Clear, Passable, Difficult, or Impassable
- Add an optional note (up to 280 characters)
- Tap Submit Report
Street Stretch Report
Report a longer stretch of road rather than a single point.
- Tap + Report in the bottom-right corner
- Tap the start of the road stretch on the map
- Tap the end of the stretch
- The app draws a route along the actual road between your two taps
- Select condition and submit as usual
Stretch reports use road network routing to follow the actual road — not a straight line.
🚗 🚶 Roads vs Sidewalks
Toggle between two separate report layers using the Roads / Sidewalks buttons in the header (desktop) or lower-right corner (mobile).
- Roads — shown as colored route lines on the map
- Sidewalks — shown as circular pins with a walking icon
Reports are saved to whichever layer is active when you submit. Switch layers to see conditions for the other surface.
🎨 Condition Colors
Clear
Fully cleared, safe to travel
Passable
Some snow or ice, use caution
Difficult
Significant accumulation, slow going
Impassable
Blocked or unsafe — avoid if possible
⏱️ Time Filter
The time filter buttons (bottom of the map) control how far back reports are shown:
- 1h — last hour only (most current)
- 3h — last 3 hours
- 6h — last 6 hours
- 24h — last 24 hours (default)
- 7d — last 7 days (wider coverage)
Narrow time windows (1h, 3h) show the most up-to-date conditions. Wider windows help you see coverage when fewer reports exist.
🔍 Search Streets
Tap the search icon (🔍) in the header to find a specific street:
- Type a street name — e.g., "Thayer St" or "Hope Street Providence"
- Select from the results that appear
- The map zooms to that location
✅ Confirming Reports
When you tap an existing report on the map, you can confirm it if you agree with the condition. Tap Confirm this report in the popup. Reports with multiple confirmations show a badge to signal community agreement.
📋 Recent Reports Feed
Tap the 📋 Reports button in the header to open the recent reports panel. Each entry shows:
- Condition status (color-coded)
- Street name (when available)
- How long ago the report was submitted
- Any note the reporter added
Tap any item in the feed to jump to its location on the map.
📍 My Location
Tap the 📍 My Location button (bottom-right) to center the map on your current position. This uses your device's GPS — you may be prompted to allow location access.
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