6 Winter Parking Rules That Get Michiganders Ticketed Before the Snow Even Falls

Your first overnight parking violation in one Michigan township costs $50.

By your third in a year, it costs $500.

Here are the winter parking rules that start costing Michiganders money before the first snowfall.

Note: This is general information, not legal advice. Parking rules and fine amounts are subject to change.

1. Grand Rapids Odd-Even Parking

Grand Rapids switches on its odd-even parking rules at 12:01 a.m. on Nov. 1 each year, and they stay on through April 1.

The rules apply whether or not there’s snow on the ground.

Only the calendar matters.

On a street with odd-even signs, you park on the odd-numbered side on odd dates and the even-numbered side on even dates, from 1 a.m. to 6 p.m.

If you park on the wrong side, the ticket is $20.

The city says an unpaid fine doubles after 10 days.

2. Marquette’s 1 a.m. Cutoff

Marquette’s winter parking ban closes every city street to parked cars from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m.

The ban normally runs from Nov. 1 through April 1, though the city extended it to April 15 last spring after record snowfall.

Parking in that window carries a $75 fine.

If you park in that window, a car that impedes the plow crews can be towed too, and the city tells owners to make off-street parking arrangements for the winter.

The city’s 2025-26 notice sets the dates and the $75 fine with no snow condition.

In 2025, Marquette police told a local TV station to expect warnings before the first snowfall and tickets once plowing was needed.

3. Negaunee’s $50 Ticket

Negaunee’s overnight parking ban runs Nov. 1 through April 30, regardless of weather.

It covers city roads, alleys, city-maintained sidewalks and city-maintained parking lots from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m.

A violation cost $50 in 2024, plus a $15 late fee after 96 hours, the Mining Journal reported.

If your car breaks down near those hours, you have to speak directly with an officer to avoid being cited.

The city’s page adds that leaving a message isn’t appropriate.

During the ban months, the city says it won’t ticket cars on city rights-of-way unless they create a hazard.

4. Alpena’s Three-Hour Window

Alpena’s 2024 announcement barred parking on city streets between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m., from Nov. 1 through April 1.

The announcement ran Oct. 29, 2024, days before the Nov. 1 start.

Your car can be ticketed on the street in those hours, and it can be impounded at the owner’s expense if it interferes with snow plowing.

The article also says overnight parking is prohibited in city lots, except the Carter Street lot along the river.

5. Calumet’s Ticket-and-Tow Risk

Calumet bars overnight street parking between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. from Nov. 1 through April 30.

If you park on a Calumet street overnight, you risk a ticket and towing, the Mining Gazette reported in October 2025.

Houghton’s ban uses the same hours and dates.

6. Michigamme’s $500 Third Offense

Michigamme Township’s parking ban covers village streets and plowed alleys from 2 a.m. until the roads are plowed.

The ordinance fixes the season by date, Nov. 1 through April 30.

A first violation costs you $50, a second within 12 months costs $100, and a third or later costs $500.

If you leave a car on a village street, the township can also tow it at your expense, and that could include storage fees.

Where Ticketing Waits for Snow

Ann Arbor’s winter parking ban starts only when the city declares one during a significant snowstorm.

The city announces a ban at least 12 hours ahead, and it stays in effect until the city lifts it.

If your car is on the street during a ban, it may be ticketed, towed or both.

If Washtenaw County issues a red or yellow winter travel bulletin during a city ban, residents aren’t required to move their cars.

Hancock’s ban takes effect right after midnight on Halloween night.

In 2025, police planned to leave courtesy cards first, and a lieutenant said ticketing generally begins once the snow starts and the plows come out.

In 2023, Iron Mountain police said the ban took effect Nov. 1 but officers wouldn’t begin ticketing until the first snowfall or icy roads that require plowing or salting.

In these places, snow decides when the tickets start, which is the opposite of the date-driven rules above.

Traverse City’s Tow Clause

Traverse City’s winter street rule starts Nov. 16, a Monday this year, and runs through April 14.

Between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. in that stretch, a car left on any street or alley may be towed away at the owner’s expense.

The city’s rules page names a tow as the consequence for this rule.

Dry pavement won’t save you because the rule runs on dates, not snowfall.

The page also says overnight parking, 3 a.m. to 6 a.m., isn’t allowed on any street in the downtown area, and that both city garages offer overnight parking at the current rates.

City surface lots may be cleared for snow removal in winter, and cars left there can be towed too.

Houghton’s Lawn Exception

Houghton bans parking on all city streets between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. from Nov. 1 through April 30 every year.

The season is fixed by date, so the rule applies on a bare November street too.

A police lieutenant told the Mining Gazette there are no allowances for a car on the street in those hours.

The lieutenant added that officers don’t want to tow.

The city’s ordinance does let you park on a lawn or side yard during those months when no other parking area is available.

Ishpeming's Two Sets of Hours

Ishpeming's winter parking ban splits its hours by street type, but both sets start on the same date, Nov. 1.

The city's notice, posted Oct. 23, 2026, says the ban under Ordinance No. 5-1200 runs until April 30.

Residential streets are off limits from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m., and downtown streets from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m.