Facts from public sources, not quotes. Where these numbers come from
Driveways, sidewalks, HOA drives and commercial lots cleared and salted all winter. Lock in your spot on a local crew's route before the first snow, or request a storm-day visit.
Get a free quote How it worksSnow here is not a maybe. Federal climate normals for the Minneapolis–St. Paul airport (NOAA, 1991–2020) put the average season at 51.2 inches of snow. December is the snowiest month at 11.4 inches, January follows at 11.0 and February at 9.5, and March still averages 8.2. About 14.6 days a year bring an inch or more.
The season starts early. The National Weather Service says the Twin Cities sees its first measurable snowfall on November 4 on average. And it's cold: the normal January high is 23.6°F and the low 8.8°F, cold enough that ordinary rock salt struggles to work.
The best time to line up snow removal is before you need it. Routes fill up in the fall, and the people who call after the first big storm wait in line.
Twin Cities Snow Pros connects homeowners, HOAs, condo associations and businesses in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington and Edina with a local snow and landscape crew that plows, shovels and salts all winter. Every number on this site links to its public source, and we tell you what we don't know.
A seasonal residential contract puts your driveway on a route. When snow reaches the trigger depth in your contract, the crew comes without a phone call. Most plans cover the driveway and the front walk, and many add the steps, the sidewalk along the street and a pass of ice melt.
The rules make the sidewalk part matter. Minneapolis gives single-family homes and duplexes 24 hours after it stops snowing, and all other properties 4 daytime hours. If the walk isn't clear at the city's follow-up inspection, crews clear it and bill you: $99.20 for a typical 40-foot lot and $229 for a corner lot, per the city's flyer. St. Paul also gives 24 hours, full width.
Snow emergencies add another job. After the city plow passes, the end of your driveway fills back up. Ask whether your plan includes a return trip to clear the apron.
If you clear your own walk between visits, a shovel with a spring-assist handle or a wide snow pusher saves your back, and a pet-safe ice melt is kinder to paws on the front step.
HOAs and condo associations need more than a driveway service. A contract can cover private streets and shared drives, mailbox clusters, common-area walks and trails, and the frontages along the busy roads.
Common areas are only half of it. Owners along public sidewalks still have their city's deadline to meet, so a good association contract spells out exactly which walks the crew clears and which are left to owners.
Plan where the snow goes, too. St. Paul says it's unlawful to shovel snow into streets and asks residents to pile it onto the yard or boulevard. With 51.2 inches in an average season and cold that keeps it from melting, piles need room all winter.
A good HOA proposal spells out the trigger depth, how fast walks are done after the snow stops, what salting is included and how extra storms are billed.
The typical machine for a big lot is a wheel loader with a snow pusher box, the kind of rig that moves a whole lane of snow in one pass and stacks it at the edge of the lot (see a 102-inch skid steer pusher box in the Ice Fighter shop). It's the right tool for the biggest contracts in the Twin Cities metro: retail centers, business and industrial parks, medical campuses, schools, churches and apartment lots where cars, trucks and customers need clear lanes before the doors open.
Big commercial work runs on a plan. A good contract lists the plowing trigger, when the lot must be open, where the snow piles go, how the drive lanes, loading docks and fire lanes are handled, and how salting and sidewalks are billed. In St. Louis Park, commercial sidewalks must be cleared within 4 business hours after snow stops, and Minneapolis gives non-residential properties 4 daytime hours, so the storefront walk belongs in the contract.
Smaller sites get the same attention with the right size of equipment: pickups with plows for office and church lots, and walk crews with blowers and spreaders for storefront sidewalks. As an estimate, ProMatcher cites a 2026 Minneapolis contractor report of $200 to $300 an hour for a commercial lot. Every commercial price is set after a walk-through.
Pickups with plows clear smaller lots overnight, then come back for the drive lanes and entrances during long storms. Ask how the crew handles cars parked overnight.
When a big storm lands, large sites need several machines working together: skid steers with pusher boxes, loaders and plow pickups. Ask how many machines will be on your site and how often they return during a long snowfall.
Storefront walks, ramps and entrances are cleared by hand crews with blowers and shovels, then treated so they don't refreeze.
Plowing moves the snow. Salting deals with what's left: the thin layer that packs down under tires and freezes into ice. Contractors spread salt from trucks with tailgate spreaders on lots and streets, and from walk-behind or ATV spreaders on sidewalks and HOA paths.
Here the trouble is the cold. The University of Minnesota's MN LTAP says rock salt is effective down to about 15°F, works very slowly below that and doesn't work at all below −6°F. Calcium chloride works to about −20°F. With a normal January low of 8.8°F (NOAA), a good salting plan picks the product by the pavement temperature, not just the forecast.
Want to see the gear behind a salting route? The Ice Fighter shop lists truck tailgate spreaders, a receiver-mount spreader for an ATV or UTV, a 100 lb walk-behind spreader and pallets of ice melt.
Not on a contract yet? Storm-day calls happen. A one-time plow or shovel visit is usually priced per visit. As an estimate, ProMatcher puts a Minneapolis driveway and sidewalk plow visit at about $44.76 on average, and Twin Cities Snow Plowing lists $45 to $100 a visit to plow, or $25 to $60 for walks only. These are estimates, not quotes.
Be ready to wait during a big storm, because contract customers come first. That's the strongest argument for signing up in the fall. If you just need a hand after a storm, use the form and choose a one-time job.
Front steps and walkways freeze first, and shaded ones refreeze overnight. A visit can include clearing and a pass of ice melt so the walk is safe in the morning.
Heavy snow at the roof edge can melt and refreeze into ice dams. From the ground, a roof rake can clear the edge. Anything that needs a ladder is a job for a pro.
A one-time plow visit can clear the driveway and the ridge of snow a street plow leaves at the end of it.
Each city has its own rules, and they're stricter than most people think. Here's a short version from each city's own page or code. Check the source before you rely on it.
| City | Sidewalks | If you don't | Snow-emergency parking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis | Homes and duplexes: 24 hours after it stops snowing. All other properties: 4 daytime hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) | Crews clear it and bill you: $99.20 for a 40-foot lot, $229 for a corner lot | Day 1 from 9 p.m.: not on snow emergency routes. Day 2 from 8 a.m.: not on the even side of other streets or on parkways. Day 3 from 8 a.m.: not on the odd side. Tow $222 plus $18 a day |
| St. Paul | 24 hours after a winter weather event, full width; no snow into the street | Not covered here; check with the city | Night Plow Routes from 9 p.m. the first night; Day Plow Routes from 8 a.m. the next day. Ticket $56; tow and impound $246 plus $15 a day |
| St. Louis Park | Commercial: 4 business hours or the next business day, whichever is shorter. Residential: 6 daylight hours or noon the next day, whichever is longer (Sec. 24-342) | Not covered here; check with the city | Snow emergency declared at 3 inches or more |
| Maple Grove | 12 hours after the snow stops (Sec. 14-126) | Not covered here | Not covered here; check with the city |
| Plymouth | 48 hours (City Code Sec. 820); a fine is possible | Not covered here | Not covered here; check with the city |
| Edina | The city clears eligible walks along highways, county roads and MSA roads within 2 days; other walks are the adjacent owner's (Sec. 24-91) | Not covered here | Not covered here; check with the city |
Sources: City of Minneapolis, City of Minneapolis, City of Minneapolis, City of Minneapolis, City of Saint Paul, City of Saint Paul, City of Saint Paul, City of St. Louis Park, City of Maple Grove, City of Plymouth, City of Edina. Bloomington and Roseville rules are not covered yet. Full source list.
Before you head out in a storm, check the official sources. These are the ones the state, the National Weather Service and the cities point to.
MnDOT's 511 site, 511mn.org, shows road conditions, closures and cameras across Minnesota.
The National Weather Service office in Chanhassen forecasts for the Twin Cities. Check weather.gov/mpx for watches and warnings.
Day 1 from 9 p.m.: off snow emergency routes. Day 2 and Day 3 from 8 a.m.: off the even, then the odd side of other streets.
Night Plow Routes, including all downtown streets, from 9 p.m. the first night; Day Plow Routes from 8 a.m. the next day.
Minneapolis: $222 tow plus $18 a day. St. Paul: $56 ticket plus $246 towing and impound, then $15 a day.
St. Paul sends snow emergency text and email alerts in English, Spanish, Hmong, Oromo and Somali.
Rock salt slows below about 15°F and stops below −6°F. Calcium chloride works to about −20°F (MN LTAP).
Minneapolis Day 1 starts at 9 p.m.; Days 2 and 3 at 8 a.m. St. Paul Night Plow Routes start at 9 p.m.
After big storms, rake snow off the roof edge from the ground to help prevent ice dams. Stay clear of power lines.
Snow work and landscaping go together. The snow and ice trade group SIMA reports 88,200 snow and ice businesses in the U.S., and more than half of them are lawn and landscape companies. The average operator earns 37% of its revenue from snow, and about 4 in 5 are sole proprietors, which means you are usually dealing with a local owner, not a national chain.
That's good for you. A crew that mows your property in July already knows where the curbs, sprinkler heads and flower beds are when they're buried under a foot of snow in winter. When the snow is gone, the same crew can handle spring cleanup and repair any turf damaged by plows or salt.
It's also why customers stay. SIMA reports snow and ice customers are retained 93% of the time from one year to the next. Once you find a crew that shows up, you tend to keep them.
Treat these as estimates, not quotes. ProMatcher's Minneapolis page puts a driveway and sidewalk plow visit at about $44.76 on average ($39.78 to $49.73). Twin Cities Snow Plowing lists seasonal residential contracts at $600 to $750 for a suburban lot, $700 to $950 for a city lot and $1,100 to $1,400 for a corner lot, and Triple Landscaping lists $35 to $75 a visit or $400 to $800 a season. Your real price depends on the size of the area, how often you want service and whether salting is included. A local crew quotes it for free.
Day 1 rules begin at 9 p.m.: don't park on either side of snow emergency routes. Day 2 rules begin at 8 a.m.: don't park on the even side of streets that are not snow emergency routes, or on either side of parkways. Day 3 rules begin at 8 a.m.: don't park on the odd side of streets that are not snow emergency routes. A tow to the city impound lot costs $222 plus $18 a day for storage.
When St. Paul declares a snow emergency, Night Plow Routes, which include all downtown streets, are off-limits from 9 p.m. on the first night. Day Plow Routes follow from 8 a.m. the next day. A snow emergency ticket is $56, and towing and impound fees are $246 if you pick the car up before midnight on the day it was towed, plus $15 a day storage after that. The city sends snow emergency text and email alerts in English, Spanish, Hmong, Oromo and Somali.
In Minneapolis, yes. The city starts inspecting sidewalks 24 hours after each snowfall. If the walk isn't clear at the follow-up inspection, crews remove the snow and ice and bill you. The city's sidewalk flyer lists $99.20 for a typical 40-foot lot and $229 for a corner lot.
Minneapolis gives single-family homes and duplexes 24 hours after it stops snowing, and all other properties 4 daytime hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). St. Paul gives 24 hours after a winter weather event. Maple Grove gives 12 hours and Plymouth 48. In St. Louis Park, businesses get 4 business hours or until the start of the next business day, whichever is shorter, and homes get 6 daylight hours or until noon the next day, whichever is longer.
It's too cold. The University of Minnesota's MN LTAP says rock salt is effective down to about 15°F, works very slowly below that and doesn't work at all below −6°F. Calcium chloride works to about −20°F. With a normal January low of 8.8°F at the airport (NOAA), pick your melt by the temperature.
A seasonal contract locks in your spot on the route and a set price for the winter. Pay-per-visit means you pay only when it snows. The Minneapolis–St. Paul airport averages 51.2 inches of snow a season and about 14.6 days a year with an inch or more (NOAA 1991–2020 normals), and snow emergencies add apron clearing after the plows pass. If you can't wait for a callback after a big storm, a seasonal spot is usually the safer bet.
In Minneapolis, Day 2 rules cover the even side of streets that are not snow emergency routes, and Day 3 rules cover the odd side. Side streets are part of the plan.
The University of Minnesota's MN LTAP says rock salt barely works below about 15°F and doesn't work at all below −6°F. Use a product rated for the temperature, such as calcium chloride.
Minneapolis inspects sidewalks after each snowfall, and if yours isn't clear at the follow-up inspection, crews clear it and send you the bill.
Heavy snow at the roof edge can melt and refreeze into ice dams that push water under shingles. A roof rake used from the ground keeps the edge clear. Hire a pro for anything that needs a ladder.
Plenty of people pair a contract for the driveway with a little work of their own between visits. If that's you, a few tools make Minnesota winters easier.
For long driveways and heavy snow, a two-stage snow blower like the Husqvarna ST224 or the battery-powered EGO 24-inch two-stage handles the deep stuff. For the roof edge, a 20 ft roof rake or a 30 ft roof rake with a slide lets you work from the ground. A heated walkway mat keeps one path clear without salt.
Heavy snow and ice can also take the power down. A portable inverter generator such as the AIVOLT 4,200W can keep a fridge, a sump pump and the furnace blower going. Run it outdoors only, far from windows and doors, and keep snow away from the exhaust.
See every pick in the Ice Fighter shop, or let a crew do the heavy lifting.
Most contracts start at a set snow depth. Ask what it is, and whether freezing rain or an overnight refreeze gets a salting visit.
When will the driveway be clear, and when will the sidewalk be done? Minneapolis and St. Paul give homes 24 hours; St. Louis Park gives businesses 4 business hours.
Will the crew come back to clear the end of the driveway after the city plows during a snow emergency?
No snow in the street: St. Paul says it's unlawful. Agree on where piles go, on the yard or boulevard.
Ask for proof of liability insurance, especially for HOA and commercial work where slip-and-fall risk is high.
Stake curbs, beds, sprinkler heads and low walls before the ground freezes so blades don’t chew them up.
Tell us what needs clearing, your ZIP code and anything that helps: driveway length, sidewalks, steps, a parking lot, an HOA or condo association drive or a business entrance. Your request goes to a local snow and ice crew serving Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington and Edina, and they contact you directly with questions and a price.
No cost and no obligation to ask. Seasonal contracts fill up before the first snow, so fall is the best time to ask.
Before you sign, ask for proof of insurance, what snow depth triggers a visit, whether sidewalks and salting are included, and how storm-day calls are billed.
