JANESVILLE β The city of Janesville declared a winter weather emergency Friday in advance of a weekend storm forecast to bring 6-10 inches of snow to southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
The winter storm warning issued by the National Weather Service is in effect from Saturday morning through Sunday morning.
βIf you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency,β the National Weather Service said in a bulletin.
Updated road conditions are available by calling 511.
City weather emergency
The City of Janesville has declared a winter weather emergency beginning at 2 a.m. on Saturday.
During a winter weather emergency, all parked vehicles must be removed from city streets until snow and ice control operations are complete. To ensure that you do not receive a parking ticket, move all vehicles prior to 2 a.m. on Saturday and keep them off city streets until 7 a.m. on Monday.
βCity crews will maintain main and arterial streets throughout the duration of the snowfall, while all other streets will be plowed after the snowfall is complete. All parked vehicles must be removed from city streets to maximize effectiveness and minimize safety issues for snow and ice removal operations,β a city release said.
βOperations crews will be out and on route maintaining main and arterial roads. During the heaviest periods of snowfall, crews may not be able to keep up resulting in snow covered roads. please be cautious, remain alert, attentive, and only travel if necessary.
Streets cleared of parked vehicles help our operators to more effectively and safely perform winter weather operations,β the release continued.
βOperations staff recognize that this is one of the busiest shopping and travel weekends of the year, with many people enjoying all the cty has to offer. However, due to the likelihood of heavy snow for most of the day on Saturday, residents are strongly encouraged to limit non-essential travel as much as possible so that City operators can carry out their duties safely and efficiently.β
Winter emergency parking
For those unable to park in a driveway or garage, parking is allowed in any municipal parking lot during a winter weather emergency. The following municipal parking lots are available downtown:
- East Wall Street Lot at E Wall Street & N Parker Drive
- City Hall Lot at W Wall Street & N Jackson Street
- S High Street Lot at W Court Street & S High Street
- Hedberg Public Library Lot on Water Street
- River/Union Street Lot at S River Street & Union Street
- N Parker Drive Parking Ramp at N Parker Drive and E Wall Street
The city asks that vehicles be removed from parking lots after the emergency has ended to allow crews to clear the lots of snow and ice.
Fines for parking on the street during a winter weather emergency are $50. The Janesville Police Department may begin issuing tickets to violators before snow and ice control operations begin.
Snow Hotline
Janesville residents can get additional winter weather emergency information from the cityβs Snow & Ice Control webpage or by calling the Snow Hotline at (608) 755-SNOW. To report problems or concerns, please call the City Services Center at (608) 755-3110.
Library closed
The Hedberg Public Library, 316 S. Main St., in Janesville, and HPL Express, 2500 Milton Ave. will be closed on Saturday, November 29, due to the weather. All scheduled programs are cancelled.
National forecast
Storm warnings and advisories extended Friday from Montana to New York.
Snowfall totals of at least a foot were expected by the end of the storm, particularly downwind of Lake Superior across the northern Lower Peninsula of Michgan and downwind of Lakes Erie and Ontario, the National Weather Service said. Areas of central New York state could see a foot of snow.
Temperatures were well below average in the eastern and central parts of the country, with highs Friday expected in the 20s degrees F and 30s degrees F in the Midwest, the 30s and 40s in New England and Mid-Atlantic areas, and the 40s and 50s in the Southeast.
