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For Some Plow Workers, Incoming Snowstorm A Major Relief

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - The snow might throw a wrench into your weekend plans but it's exactly what some people have been waiting for all season.

It's the little things that give Peter Doran a reason to smile, such as a little bit more snow for once.

"We haven't had to do too much," Doran said, who owns Peter Doran Lawn and Landscaping. His company also plows snow. "We've gone out twice so far (this season). The last time, by the time we started, it was halfway melted."

Chilly temperatures won't allow that to happen this time around. That's why he and his crew are tightening up loose ends as they prepare for a busy weekend. They added new flags onto some of their plow blades and made sure the engines were running smoothly.

"We had a bunch of people call today making sure their services were on or requesting quotes for new service," he said.

Doran said his customers pay by the season. So even if his trucks stay parked, he gets paid. That's not the case for Tyler Blair's company.

"I'm hoping for snow obviously," he said. "With some lousy winters that we've had in the last you know two to three years, everybody has pretty much gone to a per-push contract."

That means if he doesn't have any snow to plow, he doesn't get paid. It's also the reason he's excited for Saturday.

"It's white gold, so we'll take it," he said.

Most of Blair's customers include commercial lots. Doran will focus primarily on neighborhoods.

"Three years ago it was snowing every other day and we were out constantly and so I tell people it's like buying insurance," Doran said. "Sometimes you use it, sometimes you don't, it kind of all evens out at the end."

As for city streets, the Minneaplis Department of Public Works scheduled plow and salt trucks to hit the road starting at 10 p.m. Saturday. A representative said they'll monitor the weather to determine if drivers need to come in early.

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