Brainerd declares snow emergency, plowing to begin early Wednesday

BRAINERD — The city of Brainerd declared a snow emergency effective Wednesday, April 5.

Snowplowing will commence at 4 a.m. Wednesday, and parking will be prohibited on the following streets:

• All snow emergency routes.
• All north-south streets or streets that generally run north-south.
• All streets west of the Mississippi River.
• All streets south of Wright Street.

On Thursday, April 6 — the second day of parking restrictions — parking will be prohibited on all snow emergency routes and all east-west streets, or streets that generally run east-west.
It is important to avoid parking on restricted routes to allow staff to perform necessary work. Public works staff will likely plow the entire city Wednesday, with cleanup on east-west streets beginning Thursday.Vehicles parked on an east-west street Wednesday or streets identified for Day 2 parking restrictions on the snow emergency maps will be plowed around.

Cars parked on snow emergency routes will be ticketed and towed immediately.

Parking is banned on all other city streets the day they are scheduled to be plowed until they have been plowed from curb to curb. All vehicles plowed around will be issued a $25 parking citation. Vehicles that are not moved within 48 hours of being plowed around will be towed at the owner’s expense.

Visit ci.brainerd.mn.us/182/Snow-Emergencies to see snow emergency maps.

Snow removal in the downtown special services district will also begin Wednesday, with crews starting on streets, sidewalks and parking lots at 3 a.m. Parking will be banned on the following streets at that time:

• Front Street between South Sixth and Eighth streets.
• Laurel Street between South Sixth and Eighth streets.
• South Seventh Street between Maple and Front streets.

Generally, the snow removal Wednesday will take place beginning on the streets and sidewalks first, followed by the parking lots.Parking is banned on streets until they have been plowed in their entirety and the snow has been removed. Once snow has been removed from the block, vehicles can use the on-street parking. All vehicles parked during this restriction will be ticketed and towed at the owner’s expense.