Altona public works crews are out in full force today clearing streets from this week's major snowstorm.
Public works manager Clint Derksen says crews are doing their best to open up streets as quickly as possible, but admits there is a lot of snow out there and it's going to take some time.

"Right now we concentrating on basically getting at least one driving lane open on each street so that people can get moving. Motorists are going to have to be a little patient and understand that the windrow is not going to get cleaned up as fast as usual, due to the significant amount of snow."

Derksen adds he hopes to have streets cleared by Friday evening or early Saturday. He says, however, most of the snow piles in the downtown section and other areas will likely remain in place until they begin snow hauling operations next week.

The City of Morden is also reminds residents that the overnight parking ban is now in effect.

Overnight parking on all streets in the City of Morden between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 8:00 a.m is prohibited.

Leaving your vehicle on the street will leave you subject to a fine of $20.00 and/or having your vehicle towed away. Residents are encouraged to make their overnight guests aware of the overnight parking ban, and provide appropriate parking for them.

Residents are also reminded that the portion of your driveway within the boulevard area is not considered a “safe zone” for parking. Vehicles left in this area may impede with snow clearing as well as cause a safety issue for pedestrians and other motorist by impairing visibility. A vehicle left within the boulevard section of the driveway may also be subject to a fine and/or being towed away.

The Municipal Plows have been clearing roads for 2 plus days; they have been working in blowing and falling snow. Unfortunately with the weather conditions roads often blew back in within an hour of being cleared. Now that the snow has stopped falling and the winds have died down, every road should be cleared by tomorrow afternoon.

The equipment in previous years would take 3 days to clear the roads and now with an additional grader we have cut the time down to all major routes in 2 days. The municipality does consider carefully the needs of residents with medical requirements, school route priorities and resident’s needs to get out to work.

The Municipal Council has to consider the safety for everyone during these extreme weather conditions and must sent staff out in safe conditions. We ask that anyone that doesn’t need to stay put to allow the heavy equipment to safely clear the snow. We realize that it is difficult to have patience when waiting; however conditions in the rural municipality after nightfall can be dangerous for everyone.

Mountains of snow stand tall in Altona's downtown