COEUR d'ALENE — Leaf Fest got off to a soggy start Monday.

As far as Todd Feusier was considered, conditions were nearly perfect.

"Rain always helps," said the city's director of streets and engineering. "When it's warm like this, it's OK. Freezing would make it difficult."

Wet leaves don't blow out of trucks, pickup is smoother and sweepers clearing streets have it a little easier.

"This fall weather helps," Feusier said of the temperatures in the mid-40s.

Sunday's dry weather and calm, partly sunny skies, with highs near 50, offered ideal conditions for many in Coeur d'Alene to push leaves into streets.

While some trees stubbornly held their leaves, most trees had surrendered them.

People filled carts, wagons, trash cans and tarps with leaves and hauled them to the curbside. Others manned gas-powered leaf blowers while some did it the old-fashioned way with rakes.

Feusier said most residents were ready for Monday's Leaf Fest and pushed leaves into the street, a few feet from the curb, which is ideal.

"That really helps us," he said. 

The city collects more than 1,000 tons of leaves. The effort includes dump trucks, front-end loaders and about 30 staffers from different departments.

While last year's Leaf Fest had to be postponed due to snow and freezing conditions, this year's is scheduled to be completed by Dec. 9, but it could be done earlier.

Crews started Leaf Fest south of Sherman and the Fort Grounds, and will make their way north.

Once the city's leaf crews pass your neighborhood, don't put leaves out. It's too late. They won't be back.

Follow Leaf Fest's progress  at maps.cdaid.org/leaf/.

   Leaves are piled in the Fort Grounds neighborhood as the city began its annual Leaf Fest program on Monday.
  

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