The Austin Police Department is warning people whose vehicles have been parked on city property and public streets since the snow on Monday to move them or risk getting towed.

According to Austin Police Chief Brian Krueger, police have been issuing parking tickets to vehicles that are in violation of the city’s 12-hour parking ordinance. The vehicles are blocking snowplows and preventing proper snow clean up, he said on Friday.

The city’s 12-hour parking ordinance is in effect year round and is not triggered by heavy snowfall the way  snow emergency rules are. 

“The city did not declare a snow emergency and the 12-hour parking ordinance is in effect,” Krueger said. Police have been trying to make contact with the registered owners of vehicles they have ticketed to urge them to move their vehicle, according to Krueger. If the vehicle gets a second ticket, then it could likely be towed so snow removal can commence.

“We want to tell people to move their vehicles so we don’t have to tow them,” Krueger said.  “It’s better to get a $10 parking ticket and move the vehicle than to have it towed, which could set you back about $135. If we have to impound it, it’s an additional $35 per day.”

When a snow emergency is declared, parking is prohibited in the downtown area on city streets and in city parking lots from 1-8 a.m. 

Parking outside of the downtown area is then restricted to calendar parking, meaning that parking is allowed on even-numbered sides of streets on even-numbered dates and odd-numbered sides on odd-numbered dates.

A snow emergency will last up to 3 days or 72 hours, unless cancelled early by city officials.