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 Winter 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).