The Sanitation Section and the Street and Sewer Section combine to provide emergency snow and ice control operations. Typically, many of these operations entail the application(s) of salt and/or abrasives to City streets. Larger quantities of snow must be handled by plowing. During a full scale plowing operation, the Sanitation and Street Division will have 40 pieces of equipment on the street. For questions regarding snow and ice removal in streets and alleys, please call the Sanitation and Street Division at (414) 302-8800 during the hours of 7:00 am to 3:30 pm.

All ice and snow should be removed from the public sidewalk of a property, including the curb ramp (portion of the sidewalk that leads to the street crosswalk area), within 24 hours of the end of the snowfall. If the sidewalk fails to be cleared, the City will remove the ice and snow and the property owner will be issued both an invoice and a citation.  As a reminder, shoveling, plowing or blowing snow onto the roadway or alley will result in a fine. To report public sidewalks that have not been shoveled more than 24 hours after the end of the snowfall, you may report it online at Let Us Help or call the Building Inspection and Neighborhood Services Department at (414) 302-8420 during the hours of 8 am to 5 pm.

The Department of Public Works usually plows all City streets and alleys when approximately three inches of snow falls in a storm. When a full scale plowing operation is initiated, a Snow Emergency is generally declared. Once declared, parking is prohibited on major emergency thoroughfares for the duration of the emergency.

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[More information about Snow Emergency Parking in the Police Department section >>]