Neighbors in St. Paul help each other dig out after spring snowstorm
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The heavy, wet snow from this latest storm is a real problem for people unable to shovel.
In St. Paul, neighbors stepped up for each other Monday.
Jack Litzau called himself the "neighborhood nutcase" for spending hours clearing most of his block of slush and muck and snow.
"It's all clogged up and I walk out my front door and I step ankle-deep in snow, and then it'll be ice later," he said.
Litzau says a neighbor walking her dog thanked him for removing the pool of water by the curb, giving her space to cross the street.
He also removes leaves from the drains.
"You don't want them in the gutter because then they go into the water, then they go into the lake, then they contribute to all the growth of the algae," Litzau said.
RELATED: How much snow did Minnesota get during spring storm? Totals for Minneapolis, across the state
Sue Walden has arthritis and gets help shoveling her walk from the Saintly City Snow Angels Facebook group.
The Snow Angels are a network of volunteers shoveling for their neighbors who struggle to do it themselves.
"It's such a blessing," Walden said. "Before this, I've had times where I've been shoveling and I just get so upset because I'm in pain, and I feel like I have to do it, and it's just really hard."
WCCO first featured the Snow Angels in 2022 when the group had about 200 members. It's now up to more than 1,200.
"St. Paul is a city, but it's a small town within a city," Walden said. "People really have each other's backs."
The Snow Angels say they won a grant from the city to build a website and an app. The plan is to have it ready by next winter.