Binghamton Workers Clearing Downtown Parade Route

City public works crews are busy hauling away snow and ice along the route of next week's scheduled Saint Patrick's parade in Binghamton.

Mayor Richard David says the giant mounds of ice will be removed so spectators will be able to enjoy the annual event which attracts thousands to the downtown district. The parade is to be held Saturday, March 7.

Traffic was detoured on sections of Court Street as workers utilized heavy equipment to clear the icy accumulation along the curbs.

Speaking on WNBF Radio's Binghamton Now program on Tuesday, David assured a caller that the city will ensure the staging area for parade participants at the downtown stadium and the route itself will be ready.

With the parade more than a week away, organizers will be keeping a wary eye on weather forecasts.

National Weather Service forecasters says a potentially "potent system" could bring some heavy snow into the region in the middle of next week. But they say it's difficult at this stage to predict whether the system would bring the Southern Tier snow, freezing rain or mainly rain.