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Snow Emergency Declared, Clearing Sidewalks, and More Updates

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Hi all,

Yes, March roars like a lion once again in Wisconsin.

Madison Declares a Snow Emergency; Winter Parking Rules are in Effect Citywide Tonight

The City of Madison has declared a snow emergency.

Cleanup from our severe winter storm will last through the evening hours. 

More information about the snowplowing response can be found on the Snow Plowing Update. 

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 (3/16/26 into the morning of 3/17/26), 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.
  • Tomorrow night (3/17/26 into the morning of 3/18/26), 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.
  • 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.

Free Overnight parking in City Garages

You can park for free at City garages from 9pm – 7am during a snow emergency.

If you enter before 9pm or leave after 7am, you will need to pay parking fees during the extra time.

  • Do not park on the top level. The top needs to be plowed.
  • Do not park in metered areas. If you park in metered areas of the garages, you will need to pay those parking fees. Free parking during a Declared Snow Emergency does not include metered stalls. 
  • Do not park in a City garage for for more than 48 hours.

You can also park at the Brittingham Park Shelter parking lot on W Washington Ave.

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.

Looking for More Information?

For more information about our snowstorm response and plowing, visit the City of Madison winter website.

It's After March 15 – Can the City Declare a Snow Emergency?

Yes, snow emergency declarations are allowed to happen after March 15 if necessary.

You can read the City of Madison ordinance about alternate side parking online. The section that allows snow emergencies to be declared after March 15 is MGO 12.1335(4)(c). 

Learn more

Reminder of Clearing Snow from Public Sidewalks

As a reminder, the deadline to clear public sidewalks is 12:00 p.m. (noon) on the day following the end of the snowfall. 

Since yesterday, precipitation has included wintry mix, freezing rain, sleet, thunder/wintry mix, and light snow. As a result, current accumulation is a mix of heavy, wet, and loose snow. Gusty winds are causing snow drifting in areas across the city.

Please use caution when removing ice and snow from public sidewalks and continue to keep sidewalks clear. Consider assisting neighbors who may have difficulty removing snow. Small efforts can make a big difference in keeping our community safe and accessible.

With snowfall continuing, clearing sidewalks periodically may help prevent excessive buildup and make final removal easier. Prompt snow removal is essential to ensure the safety of all pedestrians using public sidewalks.

Stay tuned for an update on the deadline to remove ice and snow from this event.

Please remember that all public sidewalks, including curb ramps where applicable, must be kept free of snow and ice regardless of the source of accumulation. If ice remains that cannot be fully removed, please apply sand or another appropriate traction material.

Free sand for residents is available at several locations around Madison to keep sidewalks safe.

Visit our  City Winter Sidewalks website for more information and to learn about snow removal best practices and frequent asking question (FAQs).

Thank you for helping to keep our sidewalks safe!

Learn more

Here are the rest of this week's updates:  

Boards, Commissions, and Committee Meetings 

Note: This is not a complete list of meetings for this upcoming week. All meetings and their details can be found at the Meeting Schedule page. 

If you would like more information about becoming a member of a City board, commission, or committee, please visit the page linked here. 

Public Information Meetings (PIMs) 

  • Sherman Ave, N. Sherman Ave, and McGuire Street Reconstruction, Monday, March 16: The City is planning reconstruction of Sherman Ave from McGuire St to N. Sherman Ave/Fordem Ave, N. Sherman Ave/Fordem Ave from Northfield Pl to Erie Ct, and McGuire St from Sherman Ave to Fordem Ave in 2026. A public information meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., March 16, 2026, via Zoom. Registration is required.  
  • Public Input Meeting - Newbery Park, Tuesday, March 17: The City of Madison Parks Division is improving the playground at Newbery Park and we want your input. At this meeting City staff will present revised playground equipment options from input gathered at the playground workshop.  

Announcements and News Releases 

Please visit the City news webpage to find additional news and announcements and to subscribe to receive notification of news releases as they are posted. 

Events 

Additional upcoming events can also be found on the City events calendar. 

That's all for now.

Take care, stay warm, and stay safe.

Tag

 

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District 13 - Alder Evers

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Alder Tag Evers

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