(KNSI) – The Stearns County Highway Department is asking residents to be careful where they throw their snow.
While the agency is appreciative of people clearing driveways and sidewalks, they are reminding them not to push it out onto public roads. It is actually a misdemeanor crime punishable by a $700 fine and a three-month jail sentence in the worst-case scenario.
Officials say that when snow gets dumped onto roads, it becomes a hazard for drivers. Perhaps less obvious, it also becomes a problem for snowplows. They can be damaged if they hit compacted or frozen snow.
Another potential problem is the risk of snowdrifts. In the windier, open parts of western Stearns County, they can wind up being significantly deeper than the surrounding snow. Vehicles often get caught in them, requiring a tow.
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