Both Minneapolis and St. Paul are lifting their winter parking restrictions starting Wednesday at 8 a.m. 

Minneapolis and St. Paul limited parking after a snowy winter made it difficult for emergency vehicles to navigate some city streets. Warmer weather in recent weeks has melted snowy banks and led to wider streets. 

In a statement Tuesday, Minneapolis Public Works Director Margaret Anderson Kelliher thanked the public for their patience.

“Winter Parking Restrictions have been a critical tool for us this winter season to ensure that emergency vehicles have the ability to navigate streets narrowed by the heavy snowpack,” Kelliher said. 

St. Paul’s Director of Public Works Sean Kershaw said he realizes the parking restrictions were a “challenge for many residents who need on-street parking,” but that residents who complied helped ensure city and emergency vehicles could access all parts of the cities. 

Minneapolis' restrictions have been in place since Jan. 25. St. Paul instituted their parking restrictions on March 10. 

Snowfall this winter in parts of the state approached record levels, with 81.2 inches reported this season at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, according to the National Weather Service. That’s the eighth heaviest snowfall recorded in the region. 

Forecasts suggest that a mix of snow and rain could again hit the Twin Cities on Thursday and Friday. Both cities still have the ability to declare snow emergencies this season if needed. 

Collected from Minnesota Public Radio News. View original source here.