It’s not even fall yet, but the city of Aurora is already getting ready for winter weather that is just around the corner. Dozens of city employees responsible for keeping Aurora’s streets passable during snow storms this winter are taking new and refresher training courses this week. The training culminates with select teams competing in tandem plow and single-driver loader skills competitions.

Select city of Aurora snow plow drivers (representing Public Works, Parks, Recreation & Open Space, and Water departments) will test their ability to maneuver a snow plow through an obstacle course based on a model of prominent intersections in Aurora. Other drivers will compete on a loader to see they have the right finesse to drop a basketball into a trash can and complete other skill tests. The course should take 3-1/2 to 4 minutes to complete. Employee “judges” will score the competitors based on both speed and ability.

Select Public Works Department competitors will go to the American Public Works Association’s National Snow Roadeo later this month in Loveland to compete against drivers from throughout the western regional states.