Heavy snow decorates bare tree limbs across the region as residents shovel, scrape and plow their way into cars and out of driveways.

But the problem with snow, Geneva Assistant City Manager Jennifer Brown said, is that it just keeps on piling up, creating problems as people try to move it around.

Geneva and Geneva-on-the-Lake both enforce bans on off-road parking when the snow exceeds two inches of accumulation, but Geneva’s problem with the white stuff has become more dramatic, Brown said.

“People are actually plowing the snow out of their driveways and onto the street, or out of their driveways, across the street and onto another person’s property,” Brown said.

Geneva has specific ordinances regarding snow removal, including piling snow on someone else’s private property, pushing the snow into the roadway and shoveling sidewalks.

This snowdrift logistics issue is a problem for property owners, motorists and city snowplow drivers, she said.

“The plows have a lot of trouble when they hit a big pile of snow in the middle of the road,” Brown said. “Piles of snow in the road are also a major safety concern for cars, too.”

Conneaut City Manager Robert Schaumleffel said he hasn’t noticed any unnatural-looking piles of snow in the road.

“But that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. It is hard to see piles of white snow when everything is covered in white snow,” he said.

Brown said Geneva is fortunate to have updated snow removal equipment, but Schaumleffel said Conneaut doesn’t have the luxury of equipment or personnel.

“At this point we are just having trouble keeping up with the snowfall,” Schaumleffel said. “Sidewalks and driveways are the responsibility of the property owner.”

Schaumleffel said Conneaut crews worked through the night and late into the day to clear up main roads and later the side roads.

Piles of snow at the end of long driveways create visibility problems for drivers in Jefferson, village Administrator Terry Finger said.

“The only issue we seem to be having is that people pile up the snow at the ends of their driveways and that creates a problem when people can’t see around the piles,” he said.

Brown said the safety of Geneva students is also a major concern when the sidewalks are impassable.

“ We desperately need people to shovel their sidewalks,“ Brown said. “Students are walking in the streets to get to and from school because the sidewalks aren’t clear and this is a huge safety issue.”

Brown said it is the individual homeowner’s responsibility to shovel their sidewalks, according the city ordinances.

Finger said Jefferson residents don’t have to lift a snow shovel to have clear sidewalks.

“Maybe we spoil our residents,” Finger said. “But the village clears all the sidewalks. We are very proud to offer this service to our residents.”

Finger said the winter challenge in Jefferson is keeping the business district clear of snow for shoppers and business people.

“We haul the snow out of the business district, usually at 4 a.m. before the businesses open,” Finger said. “We move a lot of snow around.”

Brown said she hopes residents will take the time to responsibly shovel and plow their property “for the safety of everyone.”

Schaumleffel said Conneaut’s road crew did all they could to keep the roads passable Tuesday night and Wednesday.

“But I am going to hate to see our overtime bill for this storm,” he said.