Snow emergency declared for Marshalltown
As late Friday afternoon rolled around, the snow started falling on Marshalltown and the city Public Works Department declared a snow emergency for the town.
National Weather Service forecasts predicted 6-10 inches of snow and and ice accumulations and wind gusts as high as 35 miles per hour through 6 p.m. Saturday.
Taking heed of the warnings, school districts dismissed early. Marshalltown School District dismissed at 1:20 p.m. Communications Director Adam Sodders said Superintendent Theron Schutte decided on a two-hour early dismissal late Friday morning.
Also dismissing two hours early was the East Marshall School District. The GMG School District dismissed one hour early.
The snow ordinance for Marshalltown went into effect 6 p.m. on Friday.
Snow ordinance parking restrictions will remain in effect until plowing operations conclude. Residents should remove their vehicles from the designated emergency snow routes in order to help facilitate snow removal operations. The Marshalltown Police Department will ticket and tow vehicles found parked on the emergency snow routes. Vehicles towed are at the owner’s expense.
Maps of designated snow routes are available on the City of Marshalltown website, main page under the Community tab www.marshalltown-ia.gov. Maps are available in the lobby of the police department. Snow routes are clearly marked by red and white street signs.
Additionally, there are non-snow routes where parking is prohibited during snow removal operations.
Stopping, parking or standing of motor vehicles when snow removal operations are in progress by the City of Marshalltown on designated streets is hereby prohibited on either side. The streets include:
• All cul-de-cac circles
• South 16th Street from Church Street to Linn Street
• East side of South Fourth Avenue from Church Street to Nevada Street
• South 6th Street from Main Street to Madison Street
• North Sixth Street from Highland Drive to Jerome Street
• North Eighth Street from Summit Street to State Street
• East Boone Street from Third Avenue to Fourth Avenue
• Highland Drive from Fifth Street to Sixth Street
• West Linn Street from 16th Street to a point 861 feet east
• Melody Lane
• Noble Street from South Seventh Avenue to South Eighth Avenue
• Wood Street from South Seventh Avenue to South Eighth Avenue
• Young Street
Any vehicle found parked on these streets during snow removal operations will be ticketed and towed at the owner’s expense.
While snow ordinance parking restrictions only apply to the designated snow routes and the streets listed under city ordinance, residents are encouraged to cease all on street parking during snow events.
Residents and business owners are also reminded it is unlawful to move snow from private property to public property or onto another person’s private property.
Property owners are required to remove all accumulations of snow and ice from public sidewalks located upon street and alley terraces and from the public sidewalks located upon their privately-owned property.
The public’s assistance with this allows city crews the necessary space to remove snow from all city streets.