Cold Weather Health & Safety
Shelter from the Cold
Please know there are services available to anyone seeking a warm and safe place to shelter from the cold. Individuals should call 2-1-1 for information and support. As the lead agency for the Milwaukee Continuum of Care, the City of Milwaukee partners with Community Advocates, the Milwaukee County Housing Division, Pathfinders and Outreach Community Health Centers to proactively shelter individuals from the cold.
Learn more about IMPACT 2-1-1, a central access point for people in need
Get Help With Your Energy Bill

Explore our Hello Holidays page for holiday happenings, free events, and winter fun in Milwaukee! Find plenty of youth activities to keep busy when it's cold outside.
Winter Fire Safety
Snow and Ice Control Operations
What is a Snow Emergency?
A Snow Emergency is declared whenever snow fall during any period of 24 hours or less is determined and declared by the Commissioner of Public Works to constitute a serious public hazard impairing transportation, the movement of food and fuel supplies, medical care, fire, health, and police protection, and other vital facilities of the City.
Such an emergency is declared to continue for a period of 72 hours or until such earlier times as snow plowing operations have been declared completed by the Commissioner of Public Works. In addition to the following parking regulations below, "Temporary No Parking" signs may be posted by the City to assist in clean-up after major snowfalls.
Winter Parking Regulations
Use Salt Wisely this Winter
Once you put salt down, it doesn’t go away. Instead, it travels into our lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands, putting our aquatic life at risk and endangering our freshwater resources. It only takes one teaspoon of salt to pollute up to 5 gallons of water to a level that is toxic to freshwater organisms. Every year, more than 525,000 tons of salt is dumped into our state’s surfaces, enough to pollute over 400 billion gallons of Wisconsin’s water.
Do your part for our waterways:
- Shovel: Use a scraper, shovel or broom to clear walkways before the snow turns to ice. The more snow you can remove manually, the less salt you will have to use and the more effective it will be.
- Scatter: Scatter salt so that there is space between grains. A hand spreader can help. A 12 oz. cup of salt is enough to treat a 20-foot driveway or 10 sidewalk squares.
- Switch: Regular salt won’t work when temperatures drop below 15 degrees. Use sand for traction or a different deicer that works at colder temperatures.
- Sweep: Sweep up excess salt after ice has melted so it doesn’t wash into storm drains and into our local waterways.
Source: Wisconsin Salt Wise
Frozen Water Pipes and Meters
2025 Upcoming Election Dates:
- Spring Primary: Tuesday, February 18, 2025
- Spring Election: Tuesday, April 1, 2025
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A reminder that most City of Milwaukee offices are closed for the holidays:
- Christmas - Tuesday, December 24 & Wednesday, December 25, 2024
- New Years - Tuesday, December 31, 2024 & Wednesday, January 1, 2025
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Third Monday in January) - January 20, 2025
Request City services online, use the MKEmobile app or call 414-286-CITY (2489).