If you are settling into a month-to-month studio downtown and you brought a car, one winter rule matters more than the rest: Minneapolis has a three-day snow emergency parking system, and a car left on the wrong street at the wrong hour gets ticketed and towed. Here is how it works, based on the City’s own pages, so your first big snowfall is a non-event.
What is a snow emergency in Minneapolis?
When a significant snowfall hits, the City declares a snow emergency so plows can clear the streets. The parking rules then run in three stages. The City’s snow emergency parking rules page lists them like this:
- Day 1 (rules begin at 9 p.m.): do not park on either side of a snow emergency route until it is fully plowed. Non-route streets and parkways are open for parking.
- Day 2 (rules begin at 8 a.m.): park on the odd side of non-route streets (addresses ending in 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9) and on both sides of snow emergency routes. Do not park on the even side or on parkways. Between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., move your vehicle from the odd side to the even side.
- Day 3 (rules begin at 8 a.m.): park on the even side of non-route streets, and on both sides of snow emergency routes and parkways. Do not park on the odd side until that street is fully plowed.
The City defines “fully plowed” as a street that is completely cleared and “plowed as wide as possible.” The City’s page does not break out separate downtown rules, so use the snow emergency map to see which streets are routes before you park.
How will you know a snow emergency has been declared?
Do not count on spotting it from your window. The City lists several ways to find out on its snow emergency updates page: Smart911 alerts by text, email, phone call or push notification; the MPLS Parking app; the Minneapolis snow emergency accounts on Facebook and Twitter; and the snow emergency hotline at 612-348-SNOW (7669), which also reads out the parking rules. The City recommends signing up for at least two alert types, and it says plainly that it cannot guarantee an alert will reach you, so check the website or call when heavy snow is falling.
What happens if your car gets towed?
Towed vehicles go to the Minneapolis impound lot at 50 Van White Memorial Blvd. On the City’s impound lot page, a standard tow is listed at $222, plus $18 per day in storage. The lot has shortened hours during a snow emergency, and you will need proof of insurance, current registration, your ID and payment, so a rental car or a borrowed one adds paperwork. Fees and hours can change, so confirm them with the City before you rely on them.
How do you avoid all of this at Oakland’s on 9th?
The simplest approach is to decide before the snow flies where your car will sleep. Our parking page and our guide to overnight parking in downtown Minneapolis cover the options, and the guide on what it costs to keep a car downtown helps you decide whether you need one at all. Not sure? Call us at (612) 314-5124 before you arrive and ask about parking for your dates.
Many of our guests skip the problem entirely and go car-free. Our first-winter guide and the checklist for getting ready for a Minnesota winter explain how.
A warm, furnished place to wait out the storm
Every Oakland’s on 9th studio is fully furnished with a full kitchen, with WiFi, utilities, heat and free laundry included, and there are no contracts: stay a night, a week or a month. Some units are pet friendly. The building is a restored 1889 brownstone on South 9th Street in downtown Minneapolis, which makes a snow day feel like a feature rather than a problem.
Ready to plan a winter stay? Check availability and book at our reservations page, or call (612) 314-5124.
Keep reading: Can You Get to Bluey’s Big Play at the Orpheum From Downtown Minneapolis Without a Car? Dec. 12–13, 2026