(WWJ) — As Metro Detroit braces for the second round of heavy snow this week, many cities across the area are again declaring snow emergencies this weekend.
But what does that mean?
Essentially, it’s an order that requires all residents to move their cars off city streets by a certain time to allow snow plows to safely make their way through the cities.
And it can cost those who violate the order, as some city ordinances say residents can be ticketed and have their vehicles towed if they aren’t moved off the street during a snow emergency.
In Sterling Heights, for example, police wrote 146 tickets and gave out warnings Wednesday night and Thursday to car owners who didn't move their vehicles in time.
Madison Heights police, meanwhile, wrote 47 tickets for snow emergency parking violations. Other cities across the area also handed out tickets.
Most of the tickets for violating a snow emergency carry fines of $25-100.
Communities under a snow emergency include:
-Allen Park: 4 p.m. Saturday to 8 p.m. Sunday
-Birmingham: 7 a.m. Saturday to 5 p.m. Monday
-Dearborn Heights: 4 a.m. Monday until further notice
-Garden City: 11 p.m. Saturday until further notice
-Hazel Park: 9 a.m. Sunday until further notice
-Lincoln Park: 6 p.m. Saturday to 6 p.m. Sunday
-Madison Heights: 6 a.m. Sunday to 6 p.m. Sunday
-Oak Park: 7 p.m. Saturday to 7 p.m. Sunday
-Royal Oak: 1 p.m. Sunday until further notice
-St. Clair: 6 a.m. Saturday to 8 p.m. Sunday
-Sterling Heights: Until further notice (began 10 p.m. Wed)
-Trenton: 7 a.m Sunday to 7 p.m. Sunday
-Troy: Noon Sunday until further notice
-Warren: 7 p.m. Saturday until further notice
This is not a full list. To find out if your city or township is under a snow emergency — and what your city’s ordinance entails — check with your local government’s social media pages and websites.
This second dose of snow emergencies comes as the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Metro Detroit on Saturday, and a second Winter Weather Advisory that will last until Sunday at noon.
Forecasters are calling for 4-8 more inches of snow by the end of the weekend. Then, temperatures are expected to plunge early next week — with temperatures below zero in the overnight hours, and only in the mid teens during the day.
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