Although winter officially began on Dec. 21, Warren residents have been dealing with snow and freezing temperatures since mid-November.

While the early snowfall may be exciting for skiers and snowboarders, it signals long hours of snowplowing and salting for the Department of Public Works.

Over the last several weeks, DPW crews have been working to clear downtown streets and sidewalks in preparation for increased holiday traffic.

“It has been a challenging winter, and it came early”, said City Manager Mike Holtz.

In previous winters, the city typically used between 1,000 and 1,200 tons of salt. However, according to DPW Superintendent Joe Reinke, the city has already used more than 600 tons of salt this season.

City officials are encouraging residents to follow alternate parking regulations and to keep fire hydrants clear of snow and ice to ensure public safety.

The city is responsible for maintaining approximately 90 snow-lane miles of roadway.

According to the city’s website, snow removal is prioritized in the following order:

Schools, hospital routes and bridges

Main Roads, including Conewango Avenue, Pennsylvania Avenue, Market Street, Fourth Avenue, Lexington Avenue and S. Parker Street

Concrete streets, brick streets and hills

Residential areas

Additional information about snowplow operations is available on the city’s website.