No, it's not a snow emergency, but St. Paul officials are cajoling vehicle owners to move aside so plows can continue peeling away snow that has been compacted on miles and miles of residential streets.
Workers and their 60-plus plows are "out in full force" revisiting all day-plow routes in anticipation of colder weather rolling in Thursday afternoon and evening, according to a notice the city posted on its website and distributed through the news media.
The city made it clear that while "this is not a snow emergency … residents are asked to move their cars from day plow routes," the notice continued. "It is not mandatory."
Vehicles not moved will not be ticketed or towed, the city assured.
How do vehicle owners know which are the day-plow routes? Any street that does not have a "SNOW EMERGENCY" sign.
Early this month, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman responded to a chorus of complaints about slick and bumpy city streets following one storm by doubling the city's use of salt and sand, speeding up the purchase of new trucks and shaking up management of its street maintenance division.
The city is coming off a snow emergency declared Tuesday as part of its continuing effort to tidy up from several earlier snowfalls.
For more information about St. Paul's snow emergency procedures, visit http://stpaul.gov/snow or call 651-266-PLOW.
