Politics & Government

Mendota Heights Public Works Employees Cross Fingers for Snow-Free Weekend

Not one but two plows incurred damage to their rear-differentials during last weekend's snow extravaganza. That means longer to clear the city in case of another snow fall.

Clearing about 75 inches of snow in one winter has taken its toll on the Public Works Department of Mendota Heights.

Not one, but two large-rig plows broke down last Sunday as the department cleared the 70-some miles of city roads during the most snowfall the city has seen this winter.

The city usually has four large-rig plows, four pickup trucks with plows, and one grader in operation.

Find out what's happening in Mendota Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

With more snow forecasted for this weekend, Public Works Director John Mazzitello said he wants the public to be patient if the area is hit again, because this time it may take a bit longer.

“They’ve grown accustomed to rapid response and quick clearing of the streets, so if we get half a foot or more this weekend, being down equipment, we may not be able to be that quick.”

Find out what's happening in Mendota Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Over the holiday weekend, plows finished their work at about 3:30 p.m. Monday, when the tail end of the snow was still falling. Crews went out again on Tuesday at about 4:30 a.m. for additional cleanup, said public works employee George Nowak.

All told, it took about 24 man-hours to clear the largest snowfall this winter. Mazzitello said by his unofficial measurement (on his back deck), about 19 inches fell, while public works employee Tim Oster said it was “at least 17 inches.”

The department expedited shipment of a part in an effort to get one of the plows back and running before the weekend, but it’s a “cross-your-fingers” scenario.

The crews could get lucky this time. As of Wednesday, the forecast according to the National Weather Service predicts only a 30 percent chance of snow on Friday and Friday night. A large storm predicted to move north from the gulf won’t reach Minnesota, according to forecasts.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Mendota Heights