Stuck in snow or a ditch: stay in the car if traffic is moving, hazards on, and call for a winch-out. Won’t start on a single-digit morning: it is almost always the battery, and a $75 jump start fixes it. Winter prices are the same as summer prices: winch-outs from $110, a 10-mile tow for $130, the same at 2 a.m. And all winter, the sign on your block decides whether your car is still there in the morning.
Call dispatch: (414) 279-5510Winter is our busy season. The first single-digit morning fills the phone with cars that won’t start. The first real snowfall fills it with cars in ditches, and the day after with cars that were towed overnight. This page puts the whole winter in one place: the city’s parking rules, our prices, and the two guides worth saving on your phone.
Milwaukee winter parking rules, and where the city posts them
These are the city’s rules in our words, each linked to the city page it comes from. The city sets the season’s dates, hours and fines and changes them, so we link its page instead of copying numbers that may be out of date by the first snowfall.
The sign on your block decides
Milwaukee has winter rules for overnight street parking, and a stricter set once the city declares a snow emergency. Which side of the street and which hours apply is posted on the block. For this season’s dates, hours, street map and fines, read the city’s own page. City of Milwaukee parking regulations
In the way of the plows means towed
The city lists vehicles that block or obstruct snow clearing among the ones it tows. City of Milwaukee tow lot page
A “snow bound” car has a deadline
A vehicle the city designates as snow bound is towed if it is not moved within the 24-hour or 48-hour period that applies to it. City of Milwaukee tow lot page
Five unpaid tickets is its own tow
A plate with 5 or more unpaid parking citations more than 60 days old can be towed as a habitual parking violator. Winter is when tickets pile up, so deal with them before the hook shows up. City of Milwaukee tow lot page
Night parking permits
The city sells night parking permits online and at the tow lot office. City of Milwaukee tow lot page
Towed anyway? City tows go to the City of Milwaukee Tow Lot on W. Lincoln Ave. The city charges a $150 tow and $25 for each calendar day, releases cars during office hours only, and does not let a car that won’t start be worked on at the lot, so it leaves on a tow truck (City of Milwaukee tow lot page). The steps are in our Milwaukee tow lot guide.
Cold-morning jump starts: $75 within 10 miles
Cold takes cranking power away from a battery at the same moment the thickened oil asks for more. A battery that was fine in October runs out of margin on the first single-digit morning. Turn every accessory off, try one ten-second crank, rest a minute and try once more. Then stop cranking and call. A mobile jump start is $75 within 10 miles, at any hour, and the driver tests the charge before leaving so you know whether tomorrow will be a repeat. The full order, and the three mistakes that turn a jump into a repair bill, are in Car won’t start in the cold? What to do.
Ran out of gas on a frozen shoulder instead? Fuel delivery is $75 within 10 miles, with the fuel at pump price on top.
Winch-out prices: by feet from the road
A winch-out is priced by two things: what the car is stuck in, and how many feet it sits from the road. There are three distance bands for each. The price is the same at noon and at 2 a.m.
Two worked examples from our rate sheet: a car 8 feet off the pavement in a snowbank is $110, and a car 20 feet down a ditch is $200. Tell the dispatcher your best guess at the distance and you get the figure before the truck leaves. What to do while you wait is in Car stuck in a ditch in Milwaukee? What to do.
The rest of the winter price list
If the car won’t drive after the pull, the same truck can tow it at the normal rate, which works out to $105 for 5 loaded miles and $130 for 10. The full math is on the towing cost guide. Frozen out of the car? A lockout or a tire change starts at $75.
What to keep in the car from December to March
- ✓A phone charger or power bank. The call is what gets you home.
- ✓A blanket, a hat and gloves. A stuck car cools fast once the engine is off.
- ✓A small shovel, a bag of sand or cat litter for traction, and an ice scraper.
- ✓A flashlight and a reflective triangle or vest, so traffic sees you on a shoulder.
- ✓Water and something to eat.
- ✓Your insurance card and roadside-plan number, if you have one. Some plans pay for a winch-out or a tow.
Milwaukee winter FAQ
Who do I call if my car is stuck in the snow in Milwaukee?
A towing company with a winch, not a friend with a strap. Call (414) 279-5510. Stay in the car if traffic is moving, keep the hazards on, and tell the dispatcher how far off the road you are and whether it is snow, mud or a ditch. You get the price before the truck leaves: $110, $125 or $150 from snow or mud, and $150, $180 or $200 from a ditch, by how many feet the car sits from the road.
Do winter tows cost more at night or in a storm?
No. Our rates are the same around the clock. A 10-mile tow is $130 at noon and $130 at 2 a.m., a jump start is $75 within 10 miles at any hour, and a winch-out is priced by how far the car sits from the road. The dispatcher confirms the figure on the call.
Can I park on the street during a Milwaukee snow emergency?
Only where the city’s snow-emergency rules and the sign on your block allow it. The city tows vehicles that block or obstruct snow clearing, and a car it marks as snow bound is towed if it is not moved in time. The hours and the streets change with each declaration, so read the city’s parking regulations page before you leave the car overnight.
My car was towed in a snow emergency. Where is it?
City tows go to the City of Milwaukee Tow Lot at 3811 W. Lincoln Ave. Run your plate through the city’s Towed Vehicle Search or call the lot at (414) 286-2700. The city charges a $150 tow and $25 for each calendar day of storage, and it releases cars during office hours only. A car that won’t start can only leave on a tow truck. Our tow lot guide walks through each step.
Will a jump start work below zero?
Usually, yes. Our trucks carry professional boost packs for exactly these mornings, and the charge test afterward tells you whether the battery is likely to do it again tomorrow. A battery that is frozen solid or swollen will not be forced. We tell you so on the spot, and a tow to your shop is priced at the normal rate.
What if the car won’t drive after the winch-out?
The same truck can take it. The winch-out is priced on its own. If the car then needs to go to a shop, the dispatcher quotes the tow before anything moves: $105 for 5 loaded miles, $130 for 10. If the car won’t roll or won’t go into neutral, say so on the call, because that changes the equipment the driver brings.