A major snowfall like we saw last night means Elk River plow operators have been at it since 3:00 a.m., working hard to clear the city's 181 miles of roadway as quickly and efficiently as possible. However earlier this morning, a potentially deadly situation was narrowly avoided thanks to quick action by one of the city's plow operators. Parents - we cannot stress this enough, DO NOT allow your children to tunnel or build snow forts in the large piles near the right-of-way (ROW). We understand that snow fort building is an awesome winter pastime for kids, but a 29 ton truck pushing several feet of wet, heavy snow can end disastrously if children are at play or hidden within forts or caves near the street.