"People got to move their cars so we can move this snow. They're calling for more. And look at this place already," said Tom Mulligan. "We get more, where we going to put it?"

Mulligan is mayor of Seward, a village of 443 in the upper right corner of Westmoreland County. No one in Seward can remember seeing this much snow -- at least 40 inches so far this year, according to former mayor George Glassner.

On Wednesday, borough council ordered police to clear the streets of all vehicles within 24 hours so crews can bring in heavy snow-removal equipment. Tons of snow must be scooped up and dumped into empty lots. But they can't do the job with the streets parked tight with residents' vehicles.

"People just won't move their cars," Mulligan said. "It's only from today for as long as it takes to clear the snow off the streets. We don't want to be hard about this. It's not like we don't have driveways and parking lots around here."

Seward sits at the foot of Laurel Ridge, so snow is no stranger. "Still, this is exceptional snow," said Glassner. "It's getting pretty bad in town, trying to move down the streets. My driveway's 30 feet long. The snow's piled up over my head on both sides. It's been years since we've seen anything like this."

"I've lived out this way more than 51 years, and I can't remember seeing so much snow since I was a little girl," said resident Jessie Schuller.

Mulligan said the clear-the-streets order came from forethought and long memories. Seward sits on the Conemaugh River, six miles downstream from Johnstown.

"We're thinking about what happens when the snow starts to melt," he said. "The sewer drains are clogged up with snow. We get a good rain, we'll have the water running in the streets. Now's the time to do something. ... If your car's broke down, that's another story. But if you can move it and you don't, well, there's fines. There's towing. We're serious."