With snowfall expected between two and four inches, certain Ames residents will be required to move their vehicles to allow for snow to be cleared from roadways.

Justin Clausen, operations manager for the Department of Public Works, said Ames could receive no snow if the storm expected to pass overnight migrates 20 to 30 miles south, but the city will be preparing for heavier snowfall anyway.

“We are preparing for the worst though,” Clausen said. “Students coming back from Thanksgiving break heightens the need to get this information out as soon as possible — that there is a storm coming and that the snow ordinance could be in effect.”

The Ames snow ordinance goes into effect when two or more inches of snow falls, and compliance with it is an important part of ensuring roads are clear and safe to travel, Clausen said. The City of Ames plans to enforce the ordinance starting 7 a.m. Sunday.

The ordinance requires people with vehicles parked along designated snow routes, which are designated by red and white signs, to move their vehicles to routes not used by the plows.

“Those routes are typically CyRide routes but there are others that aren’t,” Clausen said. “Ultimately it is about getting the streets cleared so people can use the roadways safely.”

A complete list of designated snow routes can be found here.

Vehicles can return to being parked on the street after snow stops falling and the street has been plowed “curb to curb.”

While it isn’t required to remove cars from areas and streets that aren’t designated snow routes, the City of Ames recommends all Ames residents move their vehicles out of residential streets so people can travel as safely as possible.

Vehicles in violation of the ordinance can be ticketed and in some cases towed. In this case, Clausen said the City may be less likely to tow vehicles because the first big snow event of the year typically has the most people who don’t comply as many have forgotten, are new to Ames or are unaware of the ordinance altogether.

The snow ordinance will go into effect 7 a.m. Sunday, so tickets will not be administered to cars until that point.

Owners of a vehicle that was towed or ticketed usually don’t break the ordinance a second time Clausen said, which could indicate it is more an issue of people not knowing the details of the ordinance rather than people refusing to comply.