With snowbanks encroaching onto city streets, Minneapolis will be posting "No Parking" signs in some neighborhoods over the next couple of days in areas where roads are deemed too narrow for emergency vehicles and buses to navigate.

Meanwhile St. Louis Park is asking residents voluntarily restrict on-street parking to the odd side of the street through the remainder of the winter season.

In Minneapolis city officials post signs to limit parking to one side of the street. The signs will be left in place until conditions warrant their lifting or require more extensive parking restrictions. Streets may be posted with temporary "No Parking" signs so crews can plow and/or remove snow to widen streets. The restrictions would be lifted following the snow removal.

City officials ask drivers and business owners to remind others of the parking restrictions. Vehicles parked in a spot posted for "No Parking" may ticketed or towed to the impound lot.

These measures are different from winter parking restrictions, which would prohibit parking on one side of non-Snow Emergency routes throughout the city. If there's more snow in the coming weeks, it may be necessary to impose those restrictions to help ensure that firefighters, medics and other emergency workers can reach homes and businesses on every street, city officials said.

St. Louis Park officials said large amount of snow received this season has made many of the city's streets impassable for large vehicles when cars are parked on both sides of the streets. Thus, they have asked residents to park only on the odd-numbered side of city streets. The request is voluntary.

"Complying with these voluntary restrictions will help protect residents in case of an emergency. If public safety vehicles are unable to navigate a street because it's obstructed by cars on both sides, response times could be impacted," the city said.

If additional snow falls, mandated restrictions for some city streets could be enacted. That last happened in 1997.

Under St. Louis Park's winter parking ban, parking is banned anytime – day or night – that snowfall reaches three inches or more. Parking is allowed once streets have been plowed to the curb.