Editor's note: This story originally ran in February 2011, but the tips are timeless!

Berkley and Huntington Woods Public Works officials offered residents a few helpful hints about how to get through the winter at the beginning of the season, so here's a refresher.

Both cities have ordinances that apply to snow removal, but Claire Galed of the Huntington Woods DPW said common sense is the most important tool residents can use to deal will snow.

"We hope people will be helpful to themselves and their neighbors," she said, urging residents to keep their cars off the street when it snows and to keep their sidewalks cleared in compliance with city rules.

She explained that when a plow lifts its blade to go around a car parked in the street, extra snow can pile up in the driveway before or after the vehicle. And, if a plow goes around the car with its blade down, a mound of snow can form around the automobile, effectively trapping it.

"If we have over 4 inches, we will declare a snow emergency and you must have your car off the street," Galed said.

The same holds true in Berkley, where former Public Works Director Bruce Jerome said residents will be ticketed if they do not comply.

Berkley residents also should be aware that ordinances require them to clear snow from their sidewalks within 12 hours of a snowstorm or by 6 a.m. the next day and prohibit plowing or shoveling snow into the road, Jerome said.

He urged residents to shovel or blow the snow at the end of their driveway to the side farthest from the plow's approach in order to prevent the drive from becoming blocked.

"If they can wait until after we plow the street until they clear the end of their driveway, then they'll only have to do it once," Jerome suggested. "They can go inside and warm up with a cup of hot chocolate while we plow."

The biggest difference residents will see this winter, Galed said, is that snow will probably remain on the streets and sidewalks a bit longer than normal as the Huntington Woods department works to minimize overtime hours, especially on weekends.

"We are going to limit plowing and salting," she said. "The safety of our residents is primary."