OGDEN -- Lonnie Dickerson is used to driving a snowcat and grooming snow at Wolf Creek Utah -- after all, that's his main job on the slopes.
But Wednesday provided him with a new experience: grooming snow on a paved street in downtown Ogden.
"This is the first time I've ever done it," he said with a laugh.
Dickerson was among dozens of employees from various companies who are spending the next several days preparing the streets for the weekend Ogden Winterfest.
More than 460 large dump truckloads of snow will make their way from several parking lots in the city to 25th Street to provide the canvas for Winterfest activities.
Winterfest coordinator Kevin Ireland said the snow has come from everywhere in the city, including Ogden-Hinckley Airport, Dee Events Center and several churches and schools.
"We've gone anywhere we could," he said, "wherever snow has piled up."
He said the process of turning 25th Street into a winter wonderland has gone smoothly so far. He said the snow was coming in, the bleachers and hay bales were set up, and the crews were on schedule to have the site ready for events that begin Friday.
Roger Jenks, who works for Ogden city, was working on traffic control while dump trucks and snowcats traveled up and down the street.
He said his main task was to make sure no vehicles turned off Washington Boulevard onto the snow-covered streets, and that the trucks were able to dump snow safely.
"Everybody has been really good so far," he said Wednesday morning.
Local construction companies, including Staker Parson, R&O Construction and Kapp Construction, donated trucks and time to blanket the street with snow for the event.
While rainy weather dampened last year's Winterfest events, this year should be a different story, Ireland said, as organizers are anticipating clear skies for the festival.
"We're certainly watching the weather every day," he said. "There should be no rain, and it's supposed to stay fairly cool."
Winterfest kicks off with a toboggan parade at 5:30 p.m. Friday and will end Saturday evening. The free festival will feature concerts, contests, Nordic races and ski and snowboard rail jams.
For more information, visit www.winterfest.ogdencity.com.
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