COLORADO SPRINGS — Thanksgiving week prompted an expedited approach to snow removal at favorite retails spots in Southern Colorado.
Thanksgiving is getting together with family and friends, but it is also a major shopping week with a lot of money at stake.
“[It] doesn’t getting any bigger than this,” said Cherie Kelly, Colorado Springs general manager at Williams Sonoma.
The days right before Thanksgiving are the store's busiest of the year.
“Calls are flooding in, they’re wanting to know we’re open," Kelly said.
Despite waking to a major storm on Tuesday of Thanksgiving week, the store opened on time. Kelly also praised The Promenade Shops at Briargate management for a large and early snow removal effort.
"It takes a big team to come out and clean a shopping center this size," said Deanna Miller, property manager for Promenade Shops at Briargate.
There is a snow day playbook of sorts for the shops. It happens with added priority the week of Thanksgiving.
"This whole week, no matter what happens with the weather we're open and ready," Miller said.
Snow shovels for the tight spots, sidewalk-sized power plows work the walkways, pick-ups with blades and sanders work drive strips and parking.
"This time of year we haul off all of our snow,” Miller said. “We don't pile it because we don't want any parking spaces taken up by piled snow."
They also use loaders and dump trucks as part of their snow removal tools.
Snow removal is also priority in the shopping district of downtown Colorado Springs, but the approach is different. Roads are typically treated rather than plowed. Plowing would push snow into parking spots that line streets.
"We make sure there's a clear path down the length of the sidewalk we also make sure all the pedestrian ramps at all the intersections are cleared, there's ice melt put down if necessary," said Laurel Prudhomme with Downtown Partnership.
In the downtown area, encouraging foot traffic is important, so walkways often get extra attention.
The work is a business focused part of snow.
“A little bit of cold always makes it feel like the holiday and we're ready for people to come down," Prudhomme said.
There are also few complaints about the remaining snow accenting area during the holiday season.
