Snow emergency parking: where can I park tonight?
Last checked November 10, 2026.
When a city declares a snow emergency or a winter parking ban, cars have to come off some streets so the plows can clear them curb to curb. The rules are set by each city, and they are not the same from one town to the next. Here is how the two common kinds work, with Minneapolis and Concord, New Hampshire, as examples, and how to find your own town’s rules.
The short answer
- A snow emergency or parking ban is declared for a storm, usually in the afternoon or evening, and starts at a set hour, often 9 p.m. or midnight.
- Cars parked where the ban applies can be ticketed and towed. In Concord, New Hampshire, the ticket is $50, and a tow is $200 instead of the ticket.
- The city announces it on its website, on social media and by text, email or phone call to people who signed up. Signing up once is the surest way to hear.
Two kinds of rules
Some cities run a multi-day plan that moves cars from street to street as the plows work. Others ban parking on every street for a few overnight hours. Your town may use one, the other, or a mix, so check its own page.
| Minneapolis: a three-day plan | Concord, NH: an overnight ban | |
|---|---|---|
| When it starts | Day 1 at 9 p.m., then Days 2 and 3 at 8 a.m. | Midnight, for a storm or for winter maintenance |
| Where you can’t park | Day 1: either side of a snow emergency route. Day 2: the odd side of other streets. Day 3: the even side of other streets. | On city streets while the ban is on |
| How long | Three days, one set of streets each day | Midnight to 7 a.m. |
| If you don’t move | A ticket and a tow | A $50 ticket, or a $200 tow (the ticket is waived), plus $80 after hours and $70 a day storage after the first 24 hours |
How to find out when one is declared
- Sign up for your city’s alerts. Minneapolis sends snow emergency alerts by email, text message or automated phone call, and through its parking app. Concord uses its Alert Center sign-up.
- Check the city’s website. Minneapolis puts a banner at the top of every page during a snow emergency, and Concord posts bans online and on social media.
- Save the hotline if your city has one. Minneapolis runs 612-348-SNOW.
- Don’t count on a single message. Minneapolis says plainly that it cannot guarantee you’ll receive one, so look before you park on a snowy night.
Find your town’s rules
- Search “[your town] snow emergency” or “[your town] winter parking ban”. The public works or police department usually has one page with the rules and the alert sign-up.
- Look for signs. Snow emergency routes are often marked with their own street signs.
- If you rent or live in an apartment, ask where tenants park during a ban. Some cities open lots or garages for it.
Hear about the next one first
- Sign up for the city’s own alerts in the fall, before the first storm.
- MailerDot sends one free email a day for your town with its local news, so a parking ban that makes the local news is in the next morning’s email. For tonight’s storm, the city’s text alert is faster.
Questions people ask
Where can I park during a snow emergency? It depends on the city. In Minneapolis, on Day 1 you can park on any street that isn’t a snow emergency route, then on the even side on Day 2 and the odd side on Day 3. In a city with an overnight ban, like Concord, you need off-street parking from midnight to 7 a.m.
How long does a snow emergency last? Minneapolis runs three days. Concord’s winter parking bans last from midnight to 7 a.m. Other cities set their own hours, so read the announcement.
What happens if my car is towed? You pay the tow and any storage to get it back. In Concord that is $200, plus $80 after hours and $70 a day after the first 24 hours. Call the city or its police department to find out where the car was taken.
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