Winter Information

Winter Parking Hours

There is no parking on city streets between 2 AM and 6 AM from November 1st to March 31st. Parking is permitted downtown after 5 AM and special arrangements can be made in advance by contacting the department of Public Works at (262) 473-0560. 

Salting and Snow Removal

Learn about our Snow and Ice Control Policy (PDF) to better understand the procedure the City of Whitewater takes during snow and ice removal. 

Many of us rely on salt to keep roads and sidewalks clear during the winter months. Learn a little more about the affects salt may have by visiting Wisconsin Salt Wise. 

Wondering how much salt to use on your icy sidewalk? Not as much as you might think! Here are a few tips to salt responsibly and safely. 

Believe it or not, a coffee mug of salt is enough to salt a 20 foot driveway or 10 sidewalk squares!  Did you know that 1 tsp. of salt added to 5 gallons of water pollutes that water forever?  Read on to find out how to reduce your own salt use to protect our waterways, plants and the environment.

The Wisconsin Salt Wise Partnership is urging homeowners, municipalities, and private contractors to make a commitment to reduce salt use this winter. Using excess salt harms plants and animals, pollutes our water, damages buildings and corrodes vehicles, roads and bridges. Once you put salt down, it doesn’t go away. Instead, it travels into our lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands, putting our aquatic life at risk and endangering our freshwater resources. Salt also alters the composition of soil, slows plant growth and weakens the concrete, brick and stone that make up our homes, garages, bridges, and roads.  Here are some tips that will help you start today:

Shovel: Clear walkways and other areas before the snow turns to ice. The more snow you remove manually, the less salt you will have to use and the more effective it will be.

Sweep: Sweep excess salt from walkways and parking lots after a snow event, especially before a rain event to prevent salt from washing down the storm drain to our waterways.

Switch: When pavement temps drop below 15, salt composed of sodium chloride won’t work. Switch to sand for traction or a different ice melter that works in lower temperatures.

Hire a Certified Contractor: If you hire a contractor to do your snow and ice removal, check to see if they are already certified through the City of Madison’s Winter Salt Certification Program. If not, encourage them to become certified and to follow locally developed application rates.

Look for proper salt use at the stores & businesses you visit. If they’re using the right amount of salt, thank them! If not, let them know you are concerned about over salting and direct them to www.wisaltwise.com for more information.

Love the lines: the stripes on roadways before a storm are made of anti-icing brine. Using brine can reduce overall salt use by 70%!  If you see brine lines, you know that your winter maintenance crew is protecting public safety while saving time, money and caring for the environment.

The City of Whitewater invested in a brine system which has reduced the amount of salt needed on our streets, and responsibly monitors the amount of salt they use which puts us ahead of the curve.  Each of us can do our part to protect our water and soil too.

Salt smarter at home

• A good rule of thumb is to use 12 ounces of rock salt on 10 sidewalk squares or a 20-foot driveway. How much is 12 ounces? Use an old coffee mug as a salt scoop, and you’ve got it.
• You do not have to feel “the crunch” for salt to do its job. Salt lowers the freezing temperature of water so snow and ice can be more easily removed. Putting more salt on a surface does not make snow and ice melt faster or eliminate the need for plowing or shoveling.
• If the air temperature is below 15 degrees, sodium chloride won't work! Switch to sand or a different ice melter.