Snow Emergencies Near Boston: Who Calls Them, Where to Park

Every winter the same thing happens. A forecast shows up, a text arrives with the words “snow emergency,” and half a neighborhood goes out to ask whether the car has to move. The rules are set by each city, not by the state, and they differ more than you might expect from one border to the next.

This explainer covers the general idea first, then what Boston, Somerville, Medford, Malden, Melrose and Salem each say on their own pages. Everything is current as of November 9, 2026, but cities update their rules each season, so use the linked pages for the winter you are in.

The basic idea

A snow emergency is a declaration by city officials that plows need clear access to the roads. Once it is declared, parking rules tighten: some streets (usually the main roads, called snow emergency arteries or emergency routes) become no-parking zones, and in many places the whole city moves to a “parked on one side only” rule. Cars that do not comply are ticketed and often towed so plows can get through.

Two things apply nearly everywhere. Cities usually offer somewhere to put your car (city lots or discounted garages), and the rule that matters is the one on the sign or in the alert. Boston’s page says outright that posted signs take precedence over its lists.

Boston

Who declares it: The Mayor, per the city’s snow page. How you hear: sign up for AlertBoston emergency notifications through the city’s site.

Where you cannot park: on posted snow emergency arteries, listed by neighborhood on the city’s snow emergency parking page. The city says cars on those streets “will be ticketed and towed.” It also names some state-owned roads, including Charlesgate, Fenway, Riverway and the Jamaicaway, so check state rules there. The page does not say how long a ban lasts or give fine amounts.

Discounted parking: Boston lists dozens of lots and garages that offer snow emergency rates, many for residents with a Boston resident sticker, license or proof of address:

• You can start parking at participating facilities two hours before a declared emergency.
• You must remove your vehicle within two hours after the city lifts the ban, or you pay the standard rate.
• Examples from the city’s list: Municipal Lot #002 (398 Market St) and #003 (125 Harvard Ave) are free; Channel Center Garage (116 W First St) is $10 per day, credit cards only; Motor Mart (201 Stuart St) is $10 per 24 hours with a Boston resident permit or proof of residency; Prudential Center Garage is $12 per 24 hours for Back Bay, Beacon Hill and South End residents, who must exit by 9 am after the ban lifts; Boston Common Garage is $2 a day for Beacon Hill residents.
• Many neighborhood municipal lots (in Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Roslindale, Roxbury, South Boston and West Roxbury) are free with no eligibility listed.
• Each garage has its own rules on eligibility, oversized vehicles and re-entry fees; read yours.

If you are towed: The city directs you to search its towing database or call the Boston Police Tow Line at 617-343-4629. The tow lot is open Monday to Friday, 7 am to 10:30 pm, and automated kiosks release vehicles 24 hours a day.

Somerville

Somerville’s snow page is unusually specific. For winter 2026/27, because the winter starts in an even-numbered year, you may park only on the even-numbered side of the street during emergencies unless signs say otherwise. After a declaration you have four hours to move to the even side or into a municipal lot. Meters on the even side are free during the emergency, and the 48-hour limit is not enforced. School lots are off limits, and space savers are prohibited.

How you hear: City Alerts by phone, text and email (through Everbridge), the city website, flashing blue lights at 22 intersections, City TV, news media and 311 at 617-666-3311.

Free parking: City-owned lots, including metered municipal lots in business districts, are available but you must leave within two hours after the emergency ends. Residents of Wards 6 and 7 can use the Tufts Dowling Garage in Medford for free after registering their vehicle with Tufts.

Fines and towing: Each of these is $100: wrong side of the street, a tow zone or plow obstruction, within 10 feet of a hydrant or fire lane, within 20 feet of an intersection. Towing is $132 plus $35 a day storage; the page says towed cars go to the Dilboy Stadium lot at 110 Alewife Brook Parkway, then to Medford if not picked up.

Medford

Medford’s snow page says the city decides whether to declare based on forecasts and notifies through Reverse 911 calls, email, text, the city homepage, media and social media. Sign up at medfordma.org/alerts.

Emergency arteries: no parking at all, and cars will be towed. The list includes Main Street, Salem Street, Forest Street, Governors Avenue and Washington Street, among others. The city does not enforce on state roads such as Fellsway, Route 16 and Highland Avenue; check the state DCR site for those.

Secondary streets: odd/even by year. The city’s page, written for the winter that began in 2025, says odd side; by the same rule, a winter starting in an even year (2026) means the even side, though you should confirm in the city’s current notice. Streets with Traffic Commission exemptions follow their own side. Permit parking is not enforced during the emergency, and city lots are usable but you must move by 7 am the morning after the storm.

Towing: The tow company is Stephen’s Automotive Transport, 60 Union Street, 781-396-8697. Citation questions go to the police traffic division.

Malden

Under the city’s traffic regulations, the Police Chief can declare a snow emergency when threatening weather could impair traffic. The city’s winter parking page says it will announce the start time at least four hours ahead. Separately, the first significant snowfall starts a citywide one-side-only rule that runs 24/7 until April 1; the side alternates by year (odd side for 2025/26, and the traffic rules indicate even-numbered years mean the even side, though we did not find a city notice confirming it for this winter).

On designated main arteries, the city says it will begin immediately towing and ticketing at the start of an emergency. If you have no off-street parking, designated emergency lots are open. Winter parking questions go to the Parking Department at 781-397-7196; towed vehicles to the police at 781-397-7171.

Melrose

Melrose handles snow emergencies through its police department, and the city has posted them as civic alerts. Past notices in early 2026 described citywide bans on street parking beginning at a stated time “until the ban is lifted.” Announcements go on the city website and through its Everbridge alert system. We did not find a posted ordinance for the 2026-27 winter, so watch for the first notice.

Melrose has a standing rule that matters even without snow: no parking on public ways from 2 am to 6 am, with a $25 fine, and this still applies after a snow ban ends. For snow and ice concerns, the DPW line listed in city notices is (781) 665-0142, and police non-emergency is (781) 665-1212. Verify those against the current notice.

Salem

Salem’s snow emergency page lists the Museum Place Garage (1 New Liberty St) and South Harbor Garage (10 Congress St) at $5 per 24 hours or any portion during an emergency, starting two hours before the declared start. The MBTA garage at 252 Bridge Street sets its own rates. The page does not state the snowfall threshold for a declaration or how long restrictions last, so watch the city’s alerts. City Hall is 978-745-9595.

Five habits that avoid a tow

1. Know your city’s rule before the forecast: which side, which streets.
2. Move early. Boston’s discounted lots open two hours before a declaration.
3. Do not count on a notice. Alert systems miss people; signs are the final word.
4. Plan the return trip. Boston expects you out within two hours of the ban lifting.
5. Keep your city’s tow number in your phone.

Sources

• City of Boston: Snow Emergency Parkingboston.gov
• City of Boston: Snowboston.gov
• City of Somerville: Snowsomervillema.gov
• City of Medford: Snowmedfordma.org
• City of Malden: Winter Parkingcityofmalden.org
• City of Melrose: Snow Emergency and Parking Bancityofmelrose.org
• City of Salem: Snow Emergency Parkingsalem.com

Details such as dates, hours and prices come from the sources above and can change. Check with the organizer before you go.