City declares Snow Emergency starting Sunday

March 14, 2026
Public Works

After consulting with operational staff and public safety officials, the City of Minneapolis has declared a Snow Emergency beginning March 15. Snow Emergency parking rules will take effect beginning at 9 p.m. Sunday so crews can continue their work and plow more than 1,000 miles of streets as wide as possible.

Expanding parking options

The City aims to provide open, drivable streets by plowing and clearing snow. To do this, residents need to follow snow emergency parking rules. These rules help plows in clearing the streets so emergency vehicles and other traffic have accessible routes. Plowing requires vehicles parked on streets to move or risk getting tickets and/or a $200 tow. In anticipation of the storm, the City of Minneapolis has opened more than 700 spaces of free parking in two lots:

  • Farmer’s Market lot - 225 East Lyndale Ave. N
  • Fourth Street North lot - 601 N 4th St.

Residents will be able to park in these lots starting 2 p.m. March 14 until 8 p.m. March 18.

Approximately 3,500 parking spaces will also open in Parking Ramp A starting Sunday, March 15, at 6 a.m. through Tuesday, March 17, at 6 a.m. Parking will cost $1 upon entry.  All vehicles that enter during that time frame will not have any additional charges as long as they leave by 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

Know the Snow Emergency parking rules

Parking rules last for three days after a Snow Emergency is declared:

  • 9 p.m. Sunday, March 15, to 8 a.m. Monday, March 16 (Day 1)
    Do not park on EITHER side of a Snow Emergency route until 8 a.m., or the street is fully plowed.

  • 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, March 16 (Day 2)
    Do not park on the EVEN numbered side of a non-Snow Emergency route until 8 p.m., or that side of the street is fully plowed, or on EITHER side of a parkway until 8 p.m., or the parkway is fully plowed.

  • 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 17th (Day 3)
    Do not park on the ODD numbered side of a non-Snow Emergency route until 8 p.m., or that side of the street is fully plowed.

During a snow emergency, the City may tag and tow cars to the impound lot if they're illegally parked. A standard tow charge is $222. Only a portion of the amount of a ticket comes back to the City. These funds support the snowplowing budget. A breakdown of impound vehicle fees is available on our website. Snow emergency parking citations are also issued by the authority of Hennepin County.

Sign up now, stay informed throughout the season

Residents, workers and visitors have several ways to learn when Snow Emergencies are declared and what to do when they are. City leaders recommend signing up for at least two types of alerts:

  • Text MPLSAlerts to 77295 or create a full Smart911 profile online to sign up for alerts.
  • If the City declares a snow emergency, a banner will be at the top of every page on the City's website with an announcement.
  • Call the snow emergency hotline – The automated hotline can be reached at 612-348-SNOW (7669). If a Snow Emergency is in effect, the hotline will have information on that day’s parking restrictions that drivers need to follow to avoid tickets and tows. The hotline includes information in English, Spanish, Somali and Hmong.
  • Get the snow emergency app
  • Check our social media pages
  • Call 311
  • Watch local TV or radio

Remember to clear sidewalks and around garbage carts

Sidewalks are a critical part of our city’s transportation system, and they should be open for everyone. That’s why Minneapolis ordinance requires property owners to clear sidewalks within 24 hours after a snowfall for houses and duplexes, and four daytime hours for all other properties. Failure to shovel your walk could lead to a bill to pay for the cost of crews shoveling it. The City also provides free sand to residents at several locations. After clearing sidewalks, spreading sand helps to provide traction. It also helps hard-packed snow or ice melt faster. 

 

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