BOULDER, Colo. — Winter weather that dumped snow on much of Colorado was a welcome relief for some Boulder residents, who said they were thankful for the moisture.
Val Havlick was out early, shoveling the snow from her walkway, saying that she “couldn’t resist” getting out in the snow, even if it was to clear her sidewalks. “It’s nice and light and fluffy. It’s not a problem,” she said.
Havlick added that she had her fingers crossed that enough snow had fallen to refill reservoirs, though she worried about the homeless community.
Daniel Galhardo added that he’s glad to see the snow and happy that this winter’s storms have been “very consistent.” Galhardo was shoveling just enough of his driveway to get his car out of the garage before he headed up for a ski trip in the mountains.
Both Havlick and Galhardo were aware of the fine Boulder homeowners face if their sidewalks remain slick and snow covered. The City of Boulder allows residents 24 hours to clear their walkway before issuing fines.
The maximum penalty a Boulder homeowner can face is $1,000 and 90 days in jail.
While sidewalks may be a big responsibility for homeowners, major roads and highways are the focus of snow plows throughout the state.
The Colorado Department of Transportation launched over 100 plows in the Denver metro area as well as hundreds more statewide to battle the weekend’s storm.
In Boulder, the city notes that heavily trafficked areas are prioritized, leaving some side streets snow packed and icy for days at a time.
“Our street is not too bad but a little bit up it becomes really iced over so it’s really hard to go for a walk with the dog,” said Galhardo.
“Sometimes it’s challenging coming off of Table Mesa because it gets very icy and when there’s a lot of snow, it’s a challenge if you have a Prius or a little car. It’s hard to get up,” Havlick added.
Largely, both homeowners are happy with the care their neighbors take to ensure sidewalks stay safe.
And as for the slick side streets and sometimes iced-over walkways, Galhardo said the Colorado sun eventually takes care of the jobs that busy plows can’t handle,”We usually wait until the snow starts slowing down a little bit and then we’ll shovel it out. We’re lucky here on our sidewalk because it’s south facing so it tends to melt kinda fast once you shovel.”