Snow parking emergency declared
Alternate-side rule required on side streets
As the Milwaukee area dug out from several inches of snow Friday, plows across the area worked to clear streets.
The burst of winter weather the day prior didn’t have long-lasting consequences for most of the area, and meteorologists said residents can look forward to a dry weekend with temperatures in the low 40s.
The highest snow totals were concentrated south and west of the city. Hales Corners, New Berlin, Greenfield and Muskego recorded about 9 to 11 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service.
Elsewhere, in Wauwatosa, Brown Deer and at the Milwaukee Mitchell Airport, about 5 inches of snow fell.
As city of Milwaukee crews continued to plow streets, the Department of Public Works declared a snow emergency for Friday night and Saturday night.
The emergency means that winter parking rules take effect. Alternateside parking is required on side streets from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. the next morning, and no parking is allowed on main arterial roads.
Residents must park on the evennumbered side of the street by 10 p.m. Saturday.
DPW noted that posted signs take precedence.
The first winter parking ticket is $50. The second ticket in a winter season is $100 and the third is $150, and the car could be towed.
Crashes, road closures reported across southeastern Wisconsin
During the snow storm, slick road conditions ensnared dozens of drivers across southeastern Wisconsin, with major Interstate closures reported in Washington, Racine, Ozaukee and Fond du Lac counties, with other
crashes and partial closures occurring elsewhere. No serious injuries were reported, however. The biggest disruption appeared to happen in Washington County, where the sheriff’s department said 30 vehicles, including three semis that left the roadway, were involved in five separate crashes on a stretch Interstate 41, shutting down southbound lanes for nearly seven hours. The closure forced cars onto alternative routes, causing another cluster of accidents, also involving semis, in the Town of Wayne, the sheriff’s department said. The number of cars involved was not specified in a news release. Meanwhile, 11 crashes were reported along a stretch of Interstate 43 by midday in Ozaukee County, according to the sheriff’s office there. All in all, there were at least six complete or partial closures of I-41 and I-43 across six counties from multiple vehicle crashes Thursday. Traffic crash injuries were reported in Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, Dodge, Ozaukee and Washington counties. The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office said it responded to 78 snow-related calls for service over a 14hour period Thursday, including 51 crashes – 10 of which included injuries. Sheriff’s deputies in Kenosha County reported 48 weather-related calls for service, including three crashes with injuries, over a five-hour period.
‘Neighborly’ residents removed snow for one another
The buzz of snowplows and the scrapping of shovels against sidewalks could be heard across the city as residents dug themselves out of the mounds of snow left behind from the storm. Odell Thompson, 85, went out with his snow blower cutting a path in the sidewalk in front of his neighbors’ homes on north 15th Street. His mind dwelt on his next-door neighbor, who is elderly. He tries to look out for her. Down the street, David Agins, 60, cleared path from in front of his own home as well as that of his cousin’s. He had plans to also remove snow from the property next door. “It’s the neighborly thing to do,” he said. “There hasn’t been a lot of that lately.”