FLC OF A DC9-30 HEARD A THUMP WHEN TAXIING BY SNOW REMOVAL TRUCKS FOR TKOF. THEY STOPPED IMMEDIATELY AND ANOTHER ACFT FLC INFORMED THEM OF POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE R WINGTIP NAV STROBE LIGHT. THEY RETURNED TO THE GATE FOR INSPECTION.

Narrative

PUSHBACK AND ENG START UNDER GND CTL WAS NORMAL. RECEIVED TAXI CLRNC AND UPDATED ATIS AND BEGAN TAXI TO THE ACTIVE RWY. THE ARPT HAD RECEIVED 17 INCHES OF SNOW THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS AND SNOW REMOVAL WAS BEING CARRIED OUT ON THE W SIDE OF THE TXWY BY FRONT LOADERS AND A LINE OF APPROX 30 SEMIS WITH OPEN TRAILERS TO CARRY THE SNOW. TAXI CTRLINE WAS VISIBLE; THE TAXI CHK HAD BEEN PERFORMED AND BOTH PLTS WERE HEADS UP. WE FOLLOWED THE PATH OF THE PRECEDING DC9 AND NOTED ITS CLRNC WITH THE SNOW REMOVAL VEHICLES. AS WE CLRED THE LAST OF THE VEHICLES WE HEARD A THUMP AND IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE ACFT. ANOTHER ACFT RPTED IT APPEARED WE HAD DAMAGE TO OUR R NAV/STROBE LIGHT ASSEMBLY. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE FOR INSPECTION. WE DON'T KNOW IF WE HIT ONE OF THE VEHICLES OR IF THE VEHICLE MOVED INTO US. THE VEHICLES WERE MOVING BOTH N AND S ON THE TXWY PARALLELING OUR MOVEMENT. THERE WERE NO FLAGS; CONES; OR OTHER LINES OR DEMARCATION TO ACCOMMODATE THE SNOW REMOVAL EQUIP. THIS HAPPENED IN A NON HURRIED HEADS UP TAXIING ENVIRONMENT. STAY ALERT! YOUR PROTECTED TAXI AREA MAY NOT BE PROTECTED DURING UNUSUAL ARPT OPS.