Amid a break from frigid weather, St. Paul is dispatching its plows to snow-clogged side streets. Crews worked Friday and will continue Saturday.

St. Paul's 600 miles of residential streets are normally plowed only when a snow emergency is called. But this winter's blend of precipitation has led the city to put more of a focus on them, even when no parking restrictions are in place.

"Our residential streets continue to be a challenge, in some neighborhoods more than others, and so we are continuing to do these extra plowing efforts to keep our streets safe and passable," said St. Paul Public Works spokeswoman Lisa Hiebert. "It needs to be done, so we are doing it."

The city conducted additional plowing in early December and has its three motor graders out trying to scrape away the ice buildup, Hiebert said.

Although cars will not be ticketed, the city is asking residents to avoid parking cars on streets until a plow has passed, allowing the street to be cleaned to the curb.

After a cold start to the week, high temperatures have been near freezing, occasionally climbing into the upper 30s. The warmer weather is expected to continue through next week.

Dylan Anderson is a University of Minnesota student on assignment for the Star Tribune.