Snow Plowing

Sign up for Snow Plowing Updates to receive updates how the Streets Division is responding to snow events.

At a high-level, our basic snowstorm response has two parts:

  • During active snowstorms when snow is sticking to the roads, crews focus on maintaining the salt route network of streets. 
  • When there is three or more inches of snow on the roads, and an active snowstorm is at or near its end, every street in Madison (including the residential areas) will be plowed.

These bullet points leave out a lot of detail. And the storm response will vary depending on weather conditions. 

To get more details about how the City responds to specific snow events, and what you should expect from the response, sign up for the Snow Plowing Updates.

Snow Plowing Updates Sign Up

Salt Routes

The salt routes make up about half of all Madison streets, including:

  • Major streets and connections
  • Metro Transit bus routes
  • Streets near schools, hospitals, and police and fire stations

Salt route map

We plow the salt routes every time snow accumulates on the roads. We also salt them, if temperatures are warm enough for salt to work. In colder temperatures, we spread sand until it is warm enough for the salt to work.

Strategic Salt Use

Winter salt harms our drinking water, groundwater, and lake water. To protect our water quality, we try to limit the salt we put on the streets.

Learn more about winter salt and sustainability.

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