With more winter weather on the horizon for the St. Charles area, here’s what you need to know to let it snow, let it snow – but not let the city tow.

Across the city, plowing begins when 1.5 inches of snow has fallen and 2 inches or more is forecast. A street parking ban along snow routes is enforced by the St. Charles Police Department after two-or-more inches of snow. A citywide parking ban is enforced at 3 or more inches of accumulation.

Snow routes are designated by blue signs. Clearing parked cars from the snow routes better enables the plowing crews to clear the snow properly and safely.

“Cars normally parked on streets overnight should be closely monitored and removed before plows need to get through,” the city said in a post. “Many snow incidents occur at night, so residents are asked to keep informed on weather forecasts and cooperate accordingly.”

The police begin enforcing the parking regulations around one hour after 2 inches of snow have fallen. If more snow falls, the city may resort to towing vehicles.

“Cars may be towed to a cleared street or designated parking lot,” the city said. “The police department will begin enforcing these parking regulations approximately one hour after the three-inch accumulation is reached.”

According to the city’s municipal code, fines begin at $25, potentially increasing to $50 for serial repeat offenders. Towing fees can run at least $150, with an extra $25 storage fee, according to a city post.

To help clear the street, parking on the parkway, behind the curb, on the road edge and on the sidewalk is allowed during a snowstorm when no other off-street parking is available. When plows have come through and the snow has stopped, the vehicles must be moved back to the street.

When plows hit the streets, the first area they focus on are the main snow routes and the downtown area.

“Routes are selected depending on the time of day, the amount of snow falling and the forecast for the day,” the city said.

As more snow falls, the plows move on to the secondary roads located throughout the neighborhoods and the subdivisions. If necessary, full plowing operations will remove snow from all streets, cul-de-sacs, alleys and city parking lots. With extremely large snowstorms, the plowing crews prioritize removing snow from intersections.

“The goal is to have all areas plowed by the morning rush hour the day following the snowstorm,” the city said.

When 2 inches of snow or less has fallen, or during ice storms, freezing rain or sleet, the city public works crew spreads salt and brine throughout the city’s roadways.

When salting and brining, the city prioritizes hills, bridges and major intersections before moving on to main snow routes, the downtown area and secondary roads.

If necessary, the crew will check all residential streets and conduct salting and brining in intersections.

Downtown businesses and private properties are also required by the city to remove snow and ice from sidewalks to ensure safe pedestrian travel and accessibility.

You can track potential snowfall and winter weather updates by visiting the National Weather Service site, forecast.weather.gov.