Mayor Gondola’s highly touted electric snow plows are failing their first major test. Several plow operators were told to abandon their vehicles when their truck’s battery unexpectedly ran out of power. One driver, who asked to remain anonymous, said, “Yeah, it was after about 15 minutes of driving, all the sudden, the low battery alert chimed. I was able to make it back to the garage for a charge but some of the other guys were a bit further out and couldn’t make it back in time. All the guys are saying their batteries are running low after 15-30 minutes. The way it’s (snow) coming down out there, we may not get everything clean before the melting starts.” It’s being reported that several of the trucks had unexpected battery failures while others aren’t holding a charge for more than 30 minutes. The remaining operating trucks are being charged at a feverish pace to keep the streets passable.

City Council said they are prioritizing keeping main roads clear and will begin to clear neighborhood side streets once the snow accumulation slows down Sunday morning. They confirmed advising their stranded plow drivers to get to a safe location where another city vehicle can pick them up. Fortunately, the winds have yet to reach blizzard speeds. Nonetheless, we hope these drivers can get out of the elements as soon as possible.