ST. LOUIS — Families still enjoyed themselves Saturday in downtown St. Louis despite the messy roads left by the snowstorm that plummeted through the region this week.
Keri Jepka and Stephen Swanson were just two of the many who made their way to Kiener Plaza for NBC Sports “Once in a Lifetime” snow globe experience.
"I was stuck in the house for three straight days, so it was nice to come out. We were able to get around fine. Some of the lanes and stuff aren't clear down here," Jepka said.
NBC is on a mission to highlight the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics coverage on one network.
Dan Palla, director of Consumer Engagement at NBC Sports, was thankful for the sunshine.
"We love seeing the kids and the families and everyone playing in the snow ... walking their dogs early here in the park," Palla said.
Several blocks away at Enterprise Center, families caught Disney on Ice.
"Earlier it was pretty cold, but now that we stepped out from inside, it feels much better," said Caryn Lewis, who brought her daughter, Cadence, to the show as a birthday gift.
She said she was glad to see that conditions had improved.
“The side streets where the homes are; they are a little bit rough. But everything as far as a main road is pretty good,” Lewis added.
Nick Dunne, a spokesman for the city of St. Louis, said that crews of 25 drivers have worked all week to treat and clear main arteries and secondary roads, and for the first time in nearly a decade, road crews deployed to residential streets that were wide enough for equipment.
"Keeping roads safe has remained the street department's top priority throughout this winter storm amid historic levels of snow, sleet and rain," Dunne said.
Dunne added that the department’s work resulted in more than a third of residential streets plowed and treated by crews. Narrow roads, packed snow and parked cars impeded efforts to clear roads in some areas.
With the expected rise in temperatures into the 40s beginning Sunday, Dunne said the streets department would evaluate which streets still faced the need for service.