Why are snowplows still clearing the streets?

There's no doubt it seems weird to see snow plows working the roads when it's so nice out.

In fact, the sight had multiple people calling the newsroom. It's those inquiries that started our line of questioning to city officials.

As it turns out, the crews are working to prevent water problems as the thaw continues.

"Supposedly we got rain coming this weekend, Saturday afternoon and Sunday night. So it's good to get this off the streets,” said Lee Anderson.

What they're getting off the streets isn't just snow, it's ice - big, thick, heavy ice. Even a big road grader had trouble moving some chunks.

Anderson watched from her doorstep and said she worried that the drains on her street would stay clogged as the rain comes. That, she worried, could end up flooding the street and possibly her basement.

If the city simply let these piles melt on their own, crews said you'd still see them in May.

"That's the last place to melt, packed snow,” said heavy equipment operator Douglas McArtor.

When the drains are clogged, the melting snow we love to see go away, doesn't.

"You get cars that haven't moved, or have been parked there most of the winter. That snow can hold back a lot of water,” said McArtor.

Next week city crews are expecting to see the ice on the Cedar River start to break up and float downstream. Depending on how that goes, city crews might have to fight off rising water upstream.

Justin Foss, KCRG-TV