Snow Emergency Declared: Plowing, Parking, Sidewalk Clearing Updates
postedSnow Plowing Update from the Madison Streets Division:
"All streets will be plowed. The operation begins at midnight. A snow emergency has been declared; alternate side parking is in effect citywide.
Crews will continue plowing and salting the main thoroughfares while the snow is falling.
Roads are snow-covered, slippery, and snow will be falling all day. The snowfall will increase intensity later this afternoon so travel conditions will deteriorate throughout the day. If you need to be on the roads today, you will encounter severe challenges. Be prepared."
Here's What's Happening Today:
Streets Division plows have been on duty since last night. They have been on the salt routes (see map; here's a link to the Citywide map) from overnight hours into the morning while the snow has been falling.
Crews are plowing and salting the roughly 800 miles of traffic lanes that make up the main thoroughfares / salt routes of Madison.
Crews will continue cycling through the salt routes again and again through the afternoon and evening as the snow continues to fall.
When Will Your Street Be Plowed? Citywide Plowing Details
At midnight, the citywide plowing operation will get underway. As a reminder, citywide plowing operations start when the storm is at or near its end and there are three or more inches of snow accumulated on the roads.
Citywide plowing takes about 150 pieces of equipment in total. It uses all available Streets Division personnel plus staff from Engineering, Parks, Urban Forestry, and help from heavy equipment contractors.
On average, it takes about 12 to 14 hours for the initial citywide plowing to take place. The deeper the snow, the longer it takes. (Why? Deeper snow is heavier to push, so the trucks are slower.)
With the citywide plowing operations starting at midnight, it would be reasonable to expect all City of Madison streets to have their initial snowplowing by around 2pm on Sunday, November 30. However, considering it may be nearly 10 inches of snow, a slower response is possible.
There are clean-up operations after every citywide plowing operation and this one is no different. Forecasts show that it may still be snowing at midnight when the citywide plowing gets underway as well. We will address any areas that get covered by freshly fallen snow during those clean-up responses over the next few days.
Street Parking Tonight During the Snow Emergency
Alternate side parking rules are in effect for the entire City of Madison, including the Snow Emergency Zone.
Alternate side parking is only enforced from 1:00am to 7:00am.
- Tonight (11/29/25 into the morning of 11/30/25), park on the side of the street with even house numbers so your car is on the correct side of the street when alternate side parking is enforced.
- Tomorrow night (11/30/25 into the morning of 12/1/25), park on the side of the street with odd house numbers so your car is on the correct side of the street when alternate side parking is enforced.
- Make sure you also follow all parking rules posted on street signs.
There is a $60 fine if you do not follow winter parking rules. If your car is towed, there is also a $115 towing fee.
Call the winter parking hotline at 608-261-9111 to hear recorded information about alternate side parking.
How You Can Help with the Snow Clean Up
Park your car off the street if you can, like in one of the free overnight city garages or another off-street location.
Do not put trash and recycling carts in the street. Put them in your driveway or a cleared area of the terrace.
Fewer obstacles make it safer and faster for us to plow the roads.
For more information about our snowstorm response and plowing, visit the City of Madison winter website. Learn more by clicking here.
Reminder of City Sidewalk Clearing Rules
Winter weather is on the way, and now is the best time to make sure you have everything you need in order to keep sidewalks clear.
As a reminder, if you own your home or a business with a public sidewalk, it is your responsibility to keep any sidewalks along the property clear. If you rent your home, be sure to check your lease before it snows to see who is responsible for clearing the sidewalks.
Snow- and ice-covered sidewalks are a public safety hazard. That is why the City of Madison’s Building Inspection Division will not issue warnings before writing a citation for failure to remove snow or ice from a sidewalk in a timely manner.
City ordinances require all snow and ice be removed from a public sidewalk by Noon (12:00pm) of the day after the snow stops. The best way to make sure you always know when you need to clear your sidewalk is by signing up for the City of Madison’s Snow Removal Updates e-mail list.
When clearing your sidewalk, make sure you:
- Clear all snow and ice from the entire width of the sidewalk, edge-to-edge
- If you can’t get rid of all the ice, use an appropriate amount of salt to melt it (if the temperature is above 15°F) and apply sand to provide traction. The City has several places where residents can pick up sand for free.
- Don’t use too much salt
- Using too much salt hurts Madison’s lakes and may be causing elevated chloride in some of Madison Water Utility Wells; here's a recent article on the topic. Only use as much salt as is needed to clear the sidewalk, and only use salt after shoveling as much snow and ice as possible. A standard coffee mug (12 ounces) can hold enough salt to effectively treat 10 sidewalk squares. The Building Inspection Division has the ability to ticket you for using too much salt if it receives a complaint.
- Clear the curb ramps
If you live on a corner lot, be sure to double-check that the curb ramps are still clear after plows go through the area. Plows are required to plow to the curb, which means some crosswalk curb ramps may get blocked after plowing. It is your responsibility to keep these clear, even if you already cleared them before plows went through.
Fines for Not Shoveling or Excessive Salt Use
If you do not clear public walkways on your property by Noon the day after snow stops falling, you could face significant fines.
A first offense citation will come with a fine of $124, once all state-required assessments and fees are added up. Every offense after that will come with a fine of $187. Those fines are separate from any additional snow removal fees you will be charged if the City has to remove the snow for you. Any snow removal fees charged to you will be added to your property tax bill as a special assessment.
Last year, the City received a total of 553 resident complaints about snow- or ice-covered walkways, which resulted in 182 citations being issued between October 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025. A total of 22.1” of snow fell during that time period, which was significantly less than the previous year, contributing to fewer resident complaints and citations than the 2023-2024 winter season.
The Building Inspection Division also saw a total of 133 complaints for excessive salt use last winter, which resulted in 17 notices being issued.
The City’s Winter page has more details on how snow removal fines are calculated.
How to Report an Unshoveled or Icy Sidewalk
If you come across an unshoveled or icy sidewalk you would like to report, you can do so through the City’s online Report a Problem portal. Once we receive the report, an Inspector can be dispatched to investigate and potentially issue a warning or citation.
