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The combination of rain, snow and cold turned Madison into one gigantic, slushy puddle Sunday, creating a nightmare for plows and travelers.

Metro Transit suspended bus service at 8:30 a.m. due to extreme ice and snow conditions, and the East and West Towne malls also closed all day.

George Dreckmann, spokesperson for the city streets division, said the problem with clearing the streets was finding a place for the rain to go. Water could not get through the sewer drains because they were covered with snow, and simply shoveling the snow off would not suffice, he said.

?Because we have so much snow on the inlets, we have to use big equipment to clear them,? he added.

By midnight, between 150 and 160 streets employees were out clearing the streets and working on clearing flooded intersections, though the heaviness of the wet snow makes the plow?s job increasingly difficult, according to Dreckmann.

?It?s harder to push the snow to the curb,? Dreckmann said. ?You have to plow twice as much as you usually do because you just can?t move that much snow.?

Because they were higher than the top of the plow?s blade, snow banks could not hold any more snow on top. The plows had no other option but to push it up against the banks, making roads narrower and more dangerous.

As of last night, Sgt. Kerry Porter of the Dane County Sheriff?s Office said highway conditions were not good, but travelers were apparently heeding warnings to stay off the roads because deputies were responding to very few accidents.

?The roads are slippery and snow-covered. We?re lucky it?s not Monday through Friday traffic,? Porter said of the highway conditions Sunday night.

Dreckmann said a snow emergency is in place tonight and tomorrow, so residents should pay attention to the snow emergency parking rules.

?Get your cars off the street and take advantage of free parking in the city ramps from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.,? Dreckmann said. ?Absorbing the inconvenience will allow us to widen the streets and open up more places to park.?

According to the National Weather Service, Madison will have scattered snow flurries today and below zero temperatures tonight with wind chill between -6 and -16 degrees.