Madison officials have extended the snow emergency in effect until tomorrow morning following the biggest snowstorm of the season. Come 7 a.m. Thursday, Streets Division crews will reevaluate road conditions to determine if the emergency should be extended further.
During a snow emergency, the area known as the snow emergency zone comes under specific parking regulations. Regulations in the emergency area change in order to make way for snow plows to clear the narrow streets.
The snow emergency zone spans an area as far east of the Yahara River and Tenney Park and as far west as Edgewood College according to cityofmadison.com.
Image courtesy of City of Madison
“The nuance and complication with plowing snow in Madison seems so simple on the surface. See snow, push snow. It’s way trickier than that,” said Streets Division Public Information Officer and Recycling Coordinator Bryan Johnson.
One such complication is the dip in temperatures expected overnight into Thursday morning.
“If this snow hard-freezes into place along the curb, we may not be able to get that snow up until the temperatures come up which could be several weeks from now. That’s why following alternate side parking, and I know it’s a headache and it’s kind of confusing, but it makes such a big deal especially if you want to keep parking on the street,” said Johnson.
The City of Madison encourages residents to find alternative parking options. Cars left on the street in the improper spot will be ticketed and towed. The fine for violating the regulations is $60 not including towing fees. City of Madison ramps are free of charge between the hours of 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. during a snow emergency.
A full list of the streets impacted and regulations can be found here.
Johnson acknowledges the possibility for a third night of the emergency parking regulations saying, “It’s on the table that we might have to do a third night. I’m not saying that we definitely will or definitely won’t; we have to judge tomorrow how things are.”
The storm Wednesday forced a variety of institutions to close their doors, including the Madison School District. Tuesday’s City Council meeting was postponed until Jan. 29 due to the weather.
Johnson is optimistic the city will be be plowed in a timely manner stating, “We’re going to keep plowing until everything is done … we’re getting close to wrapping things up.”
