Snow Plow Update: All Streets to be Plowed. Operation Begins at 3:00pm 1/23/24

Below is the Snow Plowing Update announcing the citywide plowing operation for today.  While there is not a declared snow emergency for this plowing work, choosing off-street parking options will still help plows perform their work and keep Madison streets passable.

All City of Madison streets will be plowed starting at 3:00pm Tuesday, January 23.  Please choose off-street parking options if you can.   Remember to follow alternate side parking rules during the overnight hours if you cannot find an off-street option. Also, remember to follow all day-time parking rules as well.  Plowing operations starting this afternoon are expected to continue through the night and may last into the morning hours when the daytime parking rules are in effect, too.

As of this publication shortly after 12:30pm on January 23, Streets Division crews are on the salt routes in response to ongoing minor snowstorm.  Crews are plowing and applying salt to these routes as needed, and they will remain on these routes until the start of the plowing effort when the snowstorm is expected to end.  While road conditions are considerably better than what we all endured over the past week, traveling during active snowstorms can be a challenge as roadways may be slippery.  Stay alert, cautious, and slow while commuting.

The citywide plowing starting at 3:00pm this afternoon is in response to the above-freezing temperatures that is thawing the compacted snow in residential areas.  The storm we are receiving this afternoon is expected to produce only an inch of snow, which would not be enough on its own for a citywide plowing operation.  

As a reminder, anything in the roadway is an obstruction for plow trucks.  This includes trash and recycling carts, parked vehicles, trailers, and so on.  Please remove the cars, carts, and other items from the road so plowing can be completed curb-to-curb.

Plows remove snow from the road by pushing it to the curb.  It’s the only way for this process to work.  As a result, driveway aprons, crosswalk access ramps, and other areas will be blocked by snow.  This is not deliberate.  When plows drive a street close to the curb, snow gathers on the blade of the plow.  Each time they pass a gap along the curb, snow will naturally slide off the plow and into those areas.   

What we are plowing is a wet, dense, melty, slushy snow mixed with the freshly fallen snow.  This means it will be very wet and heavy to lift when you shovel this out from your driveways.  Please be careful and take breaks as needed when you are performing this work.

Do not throw snow from your sidewalk or driveway into the roads. It is an understandably frustrating experience to dig out after a plow comes through a neighborhood street.  But snow blown or tossed into the street creates slick spots for traffic. Also, when plows come back through performing cleanup duties later, chances are what was shoved out into the road will wind up just sliding right back into your driveway apron, or maybe even your neighbor’s driveway apron.  Whenever you are clearing a driveway, or a sidewalk, or an area around a curbside mailbox, or any other area, please use the space on the terrace or your yard for snow storage.

As plows will be working in neighborhoods during the evening commute, you may encounter temporary blockages of snow across intersections.  This is normal.   Much like how snow falls into driveways at gaps along the curb, snow falls off plows into intersections as well.  It takes plows multiple passes to circle around blocks of neighborhood streets to tuck all of the snow out of the road and back to the curb.

If you do encounter a plow truck on your drive home, please make good choices give them the space they need to perform their work safely.  Do not crowd them.  Do not cut them off.  They are working to make neighborhood streets safer for all users, so please keep your distance and remain patient.

Streets Division staff will be monitoring the roads and the weather.  Operations will adjust should conditions require it, and future updates will be provided.