Snow and Ice Control Operations
No Snow Emergency
Standard parking regulations are in effect
Always follow posted signs
Sign up for Parking Text Notifications
Garbage and recycling collecton may be impacted by snow and ice control operations. Set out your cart as scheduled. Leave the cart at collection point until emptied.
All residents must clear snow and ice around, on top of, and to their garbage and recycling carts to create a clear path and serviceable condition for DPW crews.
Sidewalks must be clear of snow and ice 24 hours after snow had stopped falling. Residents SHOULD NOT shovel, blow or plow snow back into the streets. Don't forget to clear corners and fire hydrants if they are next to your property.
Sidewalk snow enforcement requests can be made online or by calling 414-286-CITY, however please do not make requests until the snow has stopped for 24 hours.
Service Level Standards And Time Frames
Main streets are generally the first streets addressed. They have a higher volume of traffic, usually have public transportation routes, and help traffic flow from one side of the city to the other. These are vital to provide quick access for emergency response such as police and fire. The goal is to have all main streets serviced to wet/bare pavement within 12 hours after the snow has stopped falling.
Residential streets are generally treated after the main streets. They have a lower volume of traffic. The goal is to have residential streets “safe and passable at speeds reasonable for conditions” within 24-48 hours after snow has stopped falling. Safe and passable is not bare pavement and some hardpack can be expected.
Parking legally allows space for snow equipment to safely navigate a street. Park as close to the curb as possible, on the correct side of the street. Streets with illegally parked cars are difficult for large equipment to service and may experience a delay in salting and plowing. Parking will also impact the quality of snow plowing.
What Does Safe And Passable Mean?
Travel Safe! Safe and passable means streets can be traveled at speeds reasonable for conditions. That is almost always below posted speed limits. Hard-packed snow can usually be expected on residential streets after a significant snowfall. The City does salt, hardpacked snow so melting over time is expected. Hardpack melts back with time, increasing temperatures increase in traffic movement creating slushy conditions. This is good, it means the salt is working!
Snow And Ice Control Response
Anti-icing
The streets with saltwater brine can be effective in treating trace amounts of snowfall and helps prevent binding of snow and ice to pavement. Brine is often used when salting to help aide the salt in activating faster and keeping it in the driving lane. Brine also reduces the need for excessive salt use.
Salting and Plowing
Salt trucks operate 24/7, handling everything from freezing rain to heavy snow. They can salt and plow as needed. Major snow events may affect recycling and garbage pickup. In such cases, garbage trucks are equipped with plows to assist but cannot apply salt. The salt trucks follow afterward. Plowing the entire city can take 18-24 hours or longer. After heavy snowfall, the City may declare a Parking Snow Emergency to clear parking lanes to the curb.
Cleanup
After heavy snowfall, the city deploys equipment to clear impacted areas. Sidewalk Tractors: Plow sidewalks not next to private property. The city clears corners if excess snow accumulates. Cleanup may be delayed if operators switch to salt trucks for another storm.
Light Duty Trucks
Outfitted with a V-blade plow and brine and salt attachments, these versatile trucks are designed to tackle bike lanes, narrow streets, and specialized infrastructure that larger equipment can't reach. They ensure efficient snow and ice management in tight or hard-to-access areas, keeping pathways clear and safe.
Learn about the 3 T's (Time, Temperature, Traffic)
Time
Snow and ice operations take time. Salt needs time to react with the snow and ice in order for the salt to react and begin melting the snow and ice.
Temperature
Salt works best when pavement temperatures are above 15°. temperature impacts the effectiveness of brining, salting, and plowing. warmer ground and air temperatures help speed up melting process.
Traffic
Traffic helps salt react with snow and ice and speeds up the melting process. Continuous vehicle movement helps break up slushy or partially melted areas and reduces refreezing.
Resident Checklist
- Did I sign up for parking alerts?
- Is my car parked legally?
- Are my garbage and recycling carts free of snow and ice?
- Are my sidewalk and crosswalk shoveled within 24 hours after the snow has stopped?
- Is the fire hydrant near my property free of snow?
- Is the snow that was I shoveled place on the property and not placed on the plowed street?
Frequently Asked Questions
Why don't you use less salt? Why don't you use more salt?
As our primary goal is public safety, we use salt to achieve that goal, but salt is a pollutant that impacts our water, we try to use only the amount of salt needed to get the job done. Weather is dynamic, so we adjust our salt application rates based on current forecasts and conditions to get the job done.
What are the white lines on the streets in winter?
The lines are salt brine (23.3% salt water solution) applied to streets as a preemptive measure by salt and tanker trucks. The City of Milwaukee uses brine during Anti-icing operations to prevent slippery roads when frost, freezing fog, or minor snow is forecast or to help prevent snow from bonding to the pavement in advance of heavy snow fall. However, systems that start as rain do not allow for Anti-icing, as the rain washes the brine from the surface. This preventative measure is most frequently used on bridges/elevated surfaces to decrease the amount of salt used and allow treatment during regular hours. We have the capability to brine all 1,475 miles of City streets. Our brine operation was featured on TMJ4 in December 2018.
Why is snow pushed in front of my driveway and/or on my sidewalk?
Snow plows are designed to push snow to the side. It is inevitable for snow to be deposited at the end of driveways and on sidewalks during plowing. To minimize the impact, we recommend piling the snow to the right side of your driveway when facing the street. The plows make four to six passes down a street to clear it curb to curb which may deposit additional snow after you have shoveled. Our drivers plow at low speeds to minimize these issues, but this is an inevitable byproduct of plowing which can be exacerbated by higher snowfall amounts and light fluffy snow.
Why do some streets have less snow and ice when plowing is done?
There are a number of factors which impact how clear a street will be including; when during the operation it is plowed, the amount of traffic on the road before and after plowing, the pavement temperatures and type of pavement surface. While we try to provide consistent service some residential streets will be clearer than others.
How long does it take to plow the City of Milwaukee?
Our goal is to have all main and residential streets safe and passable 24-48 hours after the snow has stopped falling. This goal is impacted by the type and amount of snow and timing of the storm. Once streets are safe and passable we will continue to address alternate side parking, crosswalks, bus stops, and intersections.
Why doesn't the City plow alleys?
Alleys are not public right-of-ways in the same sense that streets and sidewalks are, but are quasi rear driveways that provide access for off-street parking and other public utilities and services, such as garbage and recycling collection.
Who do I contact if my neighbor did not clear their sidewalk?
If 24 hours has passed since the most recent snow event, call 414-286-CITY (2489) or you can put in a request online. However, we encourage residents to help their neighbors, particulary if elderly and/or disabled, when possible.
Properties in violation are assessed a special charge of $50. Properties in violation will be posted, when possible, and referred to an abatement contractor on the same day. If the snow has not been removed from the sidewalk before the contractor arrives, the property owner will be charged for this cost and an additional service charge of $75. This additional special charge increases to $100 for subsequent violations within the same calendar year. (City Ordinance 116-8)
Property owners can sign up for email notifications of Forestry violations at eNotify and select Location Based Subscriptions. Violations can be found and paid online in the Land Management System (LMS).
Does the City provide help clearing sidewalks?
No. We encourage residents to talk with neighbors, family, friends, or community organizations for assistance. We do maintain a list of contractors who provide snow removal services. The City does not endorse any of the companies and will annually verify the company is still active.
Who is responsible for snow at a bus stop?
Bus Stops that are part of the sidewalk are the responsibility of the adjacent property owner. When DPW mechanically plows an excessive amount of snow (typically 4"), contracted end loaders will clear the snow berm at the curb. Bus Stop end loader operations take place overnight, typically 2-3 days following the snow stopping. Bus stops which are on a street island as part of a traffic calming installation are cleared by Street Maintenance.
Who is responsible for clearing corners?
The adjacent property owner is responsible for clearing the corner and maintaining clearance. When there are excessive amounts of snow (Snow Emergency), DPW will send special equipment to address the City's ~42,000 corners/crosswalks. This occurs once the streets are safe and passable. As the salt truck operators are also assigned to corner clearing, this part of our operation can be delayed if there is another snow/ice event.
Why was my street plowed first last year and last this year?
To ensure fairness to neighborhoods, each year we switch which part of the route the plows start on for residential streets.
There was a car parked on my street when the plow came through. Will DPW come back to clear the snow to the curb?
After initial plowing has been completed equipment continues to address alternate side parking and intersection cleanup. Requests can be entered online or you can call 414-286-CITY (2489).
We do not take requests when we are actively plowing; as this will slow down the operation and equitable service for residents.Once all residential streets are safe and passable we will address resident requests for additional snow removal. We will try to clear "parking islands" left behind, but it can be difficult to maneuver the plows into a small space and arrive when vehicles are no longer parked at the curb. Utilizing alternate side parking helps ensure we can clear the street to the curb efficiently.
What are the parking rules in winter?
Winter Parking rules are located online. During a Snow Emergency parking is not allowed on highways and mass transit routes, plus vehicles must utilize alternate side parking from 10pm-6am. A limited number of MPS playgrounds also become available for parking. Sign up to recieve text notification of Snow Emergencies.
Who is responsible for clearing fire hydrants?
If a fire hydrant is lost or buried in snow firefighters can lose time trying to locate it when they first arrive. Know the location of the fire hydrants in your neighborhood and all residents are responsible to keep them clear after each snowfall.
Who clears the snow on the freeway?
Milwaukee County Public Works clears snow on highways and the freeway system and other County/State-owned streets in the City. A full list of these streets and streets maintained by adjacent municipalities can be found online.
When are the bike lanes plowed?
Bike lanes are addressed during normal snow and ice control operations with smaller, specialized equipment. Residual snow and ice should be expected in bike lanes in winter.