City officials: ‘Kindness cannot be overstated’ ahead of winter storm

Minnesota snowstorm: Officials urge preparedness as 1st wave moves in

As the Twin Cities metro gets hit with round one of snow, officials were urging residents to think ahead on Tuesday. The second wave of snow is expected to bring heavier snow for the metro.

(FOX 9) - As a winter storm that could drop more than a foot of snow approaches Minnesota, city officials throughout the Twin Cities have detailed their efforts to prepare ahead of its arrival.

School districts are announcing closings and e-learning days, while the Minnesota Department of Transportation plans to have additional drivers available. In Minneapolis, parking lots have been made available to get vehicles off the street for plows.

But city officials are also stressing another key element to Minnesotans: kindness.

Minnesota snowstorm: First wave of storm moves into metro

Ian Leonard is tracking what is poised to be a high-impact multi-day snowstorm in the Twin Cities metro and beyond.

During a Minneapolis-St. Paul joint press conference Tuesday, director for the Minnesota Department of Public Works Margaret Anderson-Kelliher urged residents to stay vigilant in their shoveling efforts throughout the week, and to report any bus stops that aren't shoveled to 311.

Also, to help your neighbors as much as you can.

"Kindness cannot be overstated at a time like this. This is the moment to help your neighbors," Anderson-Kelliher said. "We are preparing for record snow we have not seen in a long time… We ask for patience, it's going to take longer to do what we normally do simply because of the volume of snow we will be seeing."