Winter Weather Guidelines

Snow Removal Tips

  • Clear Sidewalks Adjacent to your Home - Property owners are responsible for clearing snow/ice on sidewalks adjacent to their property within 24 hours.
  • Do Not Put Snow on Roadways - Minnesota statutes and City ordinances prohibit plowing, shoveling, blowing, or placing snow on to public roadways.
  • Shovel Around Hydrants - Keep a path to and around the hydrants open for fire safety.
  • Install Sturdy Mailboxes - Mailboxes should be sturdy enough to withstand snow coming off the end of the plow. If damage occurs due to snow hitting a box, the City is not responsible for repairs. Only when there is direct impact by a snowplow will the City repair/replace mailboxes. Maximum compensation for mailbox repairs is set by the City Council.
  • Keep a Clear Area ‘Upstream’ of your Driveway - By keeping a clear area ‘upstream’ of your driveway, snow coming off of the plow will be deposited there, rather than in your driveway.

Snow Removal

In a typical snowstorm, the snow crew, made up of around 6 people working at night and early in the morning, begins plowing and removing snow using various equipment, including snowplow trucks, dump trucks, light trucks, wheel loaders, and skid steers. 

Work starts on emergency routes, priority routes/main routes, and then moves into neighborhoods, cul-de-sacs, alleys, parking lots, and sidewalks/trails.

Streets will be plowed or sanded after accumulations of 3" or more of snow, drifting that causes problems for travel, or icy conditions that seriously affect travel. Please attempt to park vehicles off the roadway during snow events so that the streets may be more efficiently plowed.

Snow Removal Routes

Screenshot 2024-10-21 084846
Streets will be sanded in this order:
  • 1. Intersections with traffic controls such as stop signs and signal lights.
  • 2. Hills and curves. (Generally, only controlled intersections and hill areas will be sanded due to limited resources.)

Downtown Snow Removal Operations

To maintain safety and accessibility downtown, snow removal will occur when accumulated snow piles create hazardous conditions or when no boulevard is available for snow storage.Snow removal will follow this schedule:
  • North-South streets: Cleared from 12 midnight to 8 AM on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays.
  • East-West streets: Cleared from 12 midnight to 8 AM on Tuesdays, Thursdays, or Saturdays.

Snow Emergency Ordinance

  • (A) The Public Works Director may declare a snow emergency in the city. The emergency shall be declared by 4:00 p.m. and shall take effect later that same evening at 12:00 midnight. The snow emergency shall continue to be in effect for 24 hours.
  • (B) A declaration of extension is made by communicating the same in the manner provided for the initial declaration. Failure to effectively communicate shall not invalidate the extension.
  • (C) Notice of the declaration of a snow emergency shall be given by notifying the local news media; however, the notification shall be a service right only and not a duty on the part of city officials.
  • (D) During a declared snow emergency, it is unlawful to park or leave standing any motor vehicle on the side of any street or alleyway in the city, except as otherwise posted.
  • (E) During a declared snow emergency, any police officer is authorized to have a motor vehicle which is parked in violation of this section removed at the owner’s expense.

Winter Parking

Residents are urged to help keep streets clean by parking on streets after they have been plowed curb-to-curb. 

After heavy snow, wind, or significant icing, the City may declare a snow emergency. 

Snow emergencies are declared before 4:00 pm and are effective between midnight and 7:00 am. 

During a declared snow emergency, no on-street parking is allowed, and the police department may remove vehicles (at the owner’s expense) that are parked in violation of the snow emergency.

Calendar Parking Policy

Starting November 14 through April 1, the Calendar Parking Rules will be in effect. Here’s what you need to know:
  • Even-Numbered Days (1 AM to 7 AM): No parking on the side of any street with even-numbered addresses.
  • Odd-Numbered Days (1 AM to 7 AM): No parking on the side of any street with odd-numbered addresses.

Please note: Calendar parking does not apply to downtown streets as described in City Code.

Make sure to follow these guidelines to avoid citations and to help us keep streets clear for snow removal and emergency access.

Snowmobile Regulations