Snow season is here … and it’s going to pack a wallop Tuesday night and Wednesday.
With that in mind, here’s some things to keep in mind when it comes to snow removal, along with the corresponding section of the municipal code.
- Snow and ice must be removed from your sidewalk “within 24 hours of daylight” after the end of a storm. (Section 12.20).
- You also have to make sure snow is removed from your roof “within six hours of daylight” after a storm. The fear is it could fall from the roof. (Section 12.24).
- And, if you don’t comply, “the Street Superintendent shall without notice have the ice and snow removed therefrom” … and have the service charged to the homeowner “as a special tax against said lot or parcel of land, and the same shall be collected in all respects like other taxes upon real estate.” (Section 12.26).
Of course, the city has a responsibility during heavy snowfalls, too — clearing the streets. And it’s a job our Street Department performs ably. According to the department’s website:
The Street Department conducts an average of 30 salting operations during an average winter season. Snowfalls which require plowing average six times during the winter and range from light and fluffy, to heavy and wet snow.
This week’s storm promises to be of the heavy and wet variety … so please be patient when it comes to having your streets cleared. You can contact the Street Department at 768-8075 if you have any questions or concerns about plowing.
If the mayor declares a snow emergency, that would mean parking would be prohibited on arterial city streets between 2 and 6 a.m. until the emergency is lifted. Stay tuned on that one. You can learn more about snow emergencies on this page on the South Milwaukee Police Department website, and in Section 28.10 of the municipal code.
South Milwaukee Blog 
What exactly does “24 hours of daylight” mean? I always thought it was just 24 hours from the time the snow stops, but adding “of daylight” seems to imply something different. This time of year there is about 9 hours between sunrise and sunset, so does that mean we actually have just under 3 days to shovel? Just wondering about the strange phrasing….
If a snow emergency is declared, will there be a designated parking area for people who do not have any where else top park?
Both of these questions are good ones. I will look into them and update the post when I know more. As to the ordinance issue, I, too, thought the wording was odd, but I read it as stating that the 24-hour clock only starts ticking immediately if it is daylight when the snow stops. If it is dark when the snow stops, the clock starts ticking at dawn. I’ll confirm this.
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