St. Paul declares snow emergency parking rules after latest storm
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In the wake of the latest winter storm that dropped more than a half-foot of snow on parts of the Twin Cities, the city of St. Paul has declared a snow emergency beginning at 9 p.m. Thursday.
That means special parking rules go into effect over several days, to give snowplow crews a better opportunity to fully clear city streets.
“After last night’s heavier-than-expected snowstorm, I am calling the first snow emergency of my administration,” St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her said in a statement. “The ice ruts that plagued our streets for weeks just melted. I won’t risk relying on unpredictable spring weather to melt or meaningfully clear our streets, and I am confident our professional group of plow drivers, ticketing crews, and city staff will get the job done.”
At last report, the city of Minneapolis had not declared a snow emergency.
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Here’s a rundown of the snow emergency parking rules in St. Paul:
Beginning at 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19: Do not park on night plow routes. That includes all of downtown, as well as streets with posted signs reading “night plow route” or “night plow route this side of street.”
Beginning at 8 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 20: All day plow routes will be cleared in St. Paul, with no parking allowed. Day plow routes are not marked by signs; if there are no “night plow” signs posted within a block, the street should be considered a day plow route.
The snow emergency will remain in effect until 9 p.m. Monday. Don’t park on streets that have not been plowed to the curb.
The city said vehicles violating the parking rules will be ticketed and towed.
While the mayor last month announced a temporary pause on towing most abandoned vehicles in the city, in response to the federal immigration operation — in which some people who were detained had to leave their vehicles behind — the city said that ban is suspended until the snow emergency is over.
The city of St. Paul also issued other reminders about snow removal — including a requirement that snow and ice be removed from sidewalks withing 24 hours. Snow from sidewalks and driveways should not be pushed out into streets.
