DOVER - Although the flakes haven't started flying quite yet, the city will implement its annual winter parking ban starting Saturday.

From then until April 1, parked vehicles must be removed from all city streets between 1 and 6 a.m. - regardless of the weather or the forecast - and vehicles in city lots must display a winter permit, which can be obtained for free at the police department 24 hours a day.

The ban, which the city has been implementing for several years, has proved successful and enabled snow removal crews to clear the streets after a storm, according to Parking Manager Bill Simons.

As before, drivers of vehicles remaining on the streets after 1 a.m. will be issued $15 parking tickets. Vehicles interfering with snow removal may be towed, according to a release.

Additionally, Simons said an emergency parking ban, which overlaps the regular one, will be activated when needed to allow crews to remove large snow banks or piles from downtown. He added that the emergency ban usually goes in effect a day or two after a storm.

The emergency parking ban will be announced by 3 p.m. and take effect at 1 a.m. the following morning. When the emergency parking ban is in effect, any car parked on a downtown street will be towed, according to the release.

Notification of the emergency parking ban will be conducted through local media, the City of Dover website, cable channel 22, Dover Download, as well as via an e-mail notification system.

Simons said the media announcements also help deal with the vehicles of employees - mostly of bars and restaurants in the downtown - who work late and whose vehicles hamper snow removal efforts.

"We've always had problems with the downtown employees," Simons said, adding during the emergency ban, late-night employees can park in any city controlled lot without obtaining a winter parking permit.

A map of the area affected by the emergency parking ban is available at www.dover.nh.gov/policepdf/DnTnSnowEmergencyMap.pdf.

Restaurants, bars and other late night business are encouraged to sign up for the e-mail notification by contacting the Parking Bureau at parking@dover.nh.gov or by calling (603) 516-2277.

jquinn@newstote.com