Winter Parking Bans 2026-27: Hours, Fines and Start Rules in Chicago, Minneapolis and More

Chicago’s winter overnight parking ban ran from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. every night from Dec. 1 to April 1 last season, snow or no snow, according to ABC7 Chicago and the Chicago Sun-Times; the city’s 2026-27 start was not posted where we could read it on Nov. 5, 2026. Minneapolis, Boston, Washington, Madison, Winnipeg and Calgary work differently: their bans begin only when the city declares one. The table puts both kinds side by side, and a printable keeps a before-the-first-snow checklist with each city’s hours and fine.

There are two kinds of ban. A fixed-season ban applies on set nights whether or not it snows. A declared ban starts only when the city calls it, as a snow emergency, a plowing operation or an announcement. If you move between cities, or park on a street you do not know, the first question is which kind you are under.

Winter parking ban rules by city

City	Type	When it applies	Banned hours	Ticket and tow	Alerts	Source
Chicago	Fixed season	2025-26: Dec. 1 to April 1, every night; 2026-27 not yet posted	3 a.m. to 7 a.m. on 107 miles of main streets	Minimum $150 tow fee, $60 ticket, $25 a day storage (2025-26)	Not stated by the newsrooms	ABC7 Chicago; Chicago Sun-Times
Milwaukee	Fixed season, plus snow emergency rule	Past seasons began Dec. 1 (2023: through March 1, 2024); 2026-27 not yet announced	2 a.m. to 6 a.m. on through highways and bus routes; during snow emergencies, alternate side citywide 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.	Not stated	Not stated	CBS58; FOX6
Minneapolis	Declared	Snow emergency, in three days	Day 1 rules begin at 9 p.m.; Day 2 and Day 3 rules begin at 8 a.m.	Not on the page	Not on the page	City of Minneapolis
Boston	Declared	Declared snow emergency	Posted snow emergency arteries; garages open two hours before	Ticket and tow; amount not on the page	Not on the page	City of Boston
Washington	Declared	While a snow emergency is in effect	Snow emergency routes	$250 ticket, $100 tow fee, $20 a day storage	TV, radio or snow.dc.gov	Government of the District of Columbia
Madison, Wis.	Declared	When the Street Superintendent declares the first general plowing operation or snow emergency	Daily 1:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. (outside the Snow Emergency Zone)	No fine on the page	Not on the page	City of Madison
Winnipeg	Declared, announced a week ahead	Any time from Nov. 1 to the end of April	2 a.m. to 7 a.m. on designated winter routes	$100 ticket, $75 if paid early (2025)	Announced seven days before it starts	City of Winnipeg
Calgary	Declared	Up to 72 hours per ban	On designated snow routes	Up to $120 ticket and tow	Email or text sign-up	City of Calgary

“Not stated” means the pages we could read did not say. Check your city’s page for the amount or the alert method.

How do Chicago’s and Milwaukee’s overnight bans work?

Chicago’s city page was blocked to our tools, so these figures come from two newsrooms that agree. ABC7 Chicago reported on Nov. 28, 2025: “The ban will be in effect from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. through April 1, 2026,” and that the Department of Streets and Sanitation “will enforce the ban regardless of snow on 107 miles of Chicago main streets.” The Sun-Times said it runs “every night from Dec. 1 to April 1.” Both reported the penalty: towing with a minimum $150 fee, a $60 ticket and $25 a day storage.

That was last season. The 2026-27 start has not been posted where we could read it. Dec. 1, 2026 falls on a Tuesday, which is a calendar fact and not a city announcement.

Milwaukee’s city page was also blocked. CBS58 reported in 2023 that regulations ran from Dec. 1 through March 1, 2024, with “no parking on through highways and bus routes from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m.”; FOX6 gave the same hours in 2021. CBS58 added that during snow emergencies there is alternate side parking citywide between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., except on through highways and bus routes. The 2026-27 dates are not yet announced.

How do declared bans start in Minneapolis, Boston and Washington?

Minneapolis runs a snow emergency in three days. Its page, last updated June 30, 2026, says Day 1 “Parking rules begin at 9 p.m.” and Day 2 and Day 3 “Parking rules begin at 8 a.m.” The page we read gave no tow fee or season.

Boston’s page, last updated 3/10/26, says: “We will ticket and tow your car if you park on a posted snow emergency artery during a declared snow emergency.” It also says you can begin parking at participating lots and garages two hours before a declared emergency, and lists a 200 Stuart Street Garage rate of “$10 for each 24-hour period for all other Boston residents.” No fine amount is on the page.

For Washington, District of Columbia (D.C.), the snow emergency page says: “Motorists may not park on snow emergency routes while the emergency is in effect.” The cost is a “$250 ticket for the snow emergency violation,” a “$100 tow fee” and a “$20 per day storage fee.” Alerts come over TV, radio or snow.dc.gov.

When does Madison enforce alternate side parking?

Madison’s page, updated Jan. 9, 2026, says alternate side parking rules “must be followed daily from 1:00 am to 7:00 am” outside the Snow Emergency Zone, and “Enforcement will begin only when the Street Superintendent declares the first general plowing operation or snow emergency.” Last season, enforcement ran through 7:00 a.m. on March 15, 2026. The page says the start was not “automatically beginning on November 15 like usual,” and that for 2026-27 the city “will evaluate enforcement timing.” No start date is set, and the page lists no fine.

What do Winnipeg and Calgary require?

Winnipeg’s winter route ban “can come into effect at any point from November 1 to the end of April,” and the city says, “We will announce the ban seven days before it starts.” Once it is in effect, you may not park on designated winter routes between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. On Nov. 5, 2026 the page said there were no winter parking bans in effect. Last season’s ban started at 2 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025, with a $100 ticket ($75 if paid early), per the city’s Nov. 25, 2025 news release.

Calgary, on a page updated Nov. 4, 2026, says parking is “temporarily restricted on designated snow routes for up to 72 hours.” Bans “typically begin 18 hours after a snowfall has ended,” with advance notice “typically one to two days prior.” The penalty is “up to and including a $120 parking ticket and tow,” and the city offers an email and text sign-up.

Ottawa and Edmonton declare their bans by announcement; their official pages did not load for us, so check ottawa.ca and edmonton.ca.

What to do before the first snow

Use the December 2026 printable calendar and the January 2027 printable calendar to note the day your city’s ban or season starts once it is posted. The printable checklist has lines for your street, a backup place to park and the alert you signed up for. Other winter rules that change by city are in our stories on Code Blue shelter rules, New York City alternate side parking and snow day make-up rules.