Supplied by the City of Evanston
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Evanston from Thursday, Dec. 22 at noon until Saturday, Dec. 24 at 6 a.m.
What to expect
- Strong winds and 2 to 5 inches of snow accumulation
- Extremely cold temperatures Thursday afternoon through Sunday
- Hazardous travel conditions
Parking impacts
The City may declare snow parking restrictions in the event of accumulated snowfall. Snow parking restrictions are not in effect at this time.
Avoid parking on Snow Routes: Help keep our roads clear by avoiding parking on main thoroughfares posted as Snow Routes on Thursday afternoon and overnight into Friday. Voluntarily abiding by posted parking signage will help plows clear snow to the curb, and reduce the chance that enforced parking restrictions will be needed.
Stay tuned: Additional notices will follow in the event that parking restrictions are declared.
Free Off-Street Parking Options Available
To help facilitate snow clearing operations and to make parking more convenient for residents, the City of Evanston, ETHS and Ascension St. Francis Hospital are providing the following free parking options.
Maple Avenue Downtown Parking Garage
Thurs., Dec. 22 at 12:01 a.m. through Mon., Dec. 26 at 11:59 p.m.
The City is offering free parking in the Maple Avenue downtown parking garage, located at 1800 Maple Ave., from Thursday, Dec. 22 at 12:01 a.m. through Monday, Dec. 26 at 11:59 p.m. Drivers will receive a ticket upon entering the garage but will not need it to exit; parking garage gates will be open.
Regular parking fees will apply at the Sherman Plaza and Church Street parking garages with the exception of Christmas Day, December 25, which is a City parking holiday.
Ascension St. Francis Parking Garage
Thurs., Dec. 22 at 12:01 a.m. through Mon., Dec. 26 at noon
Ascension St. Francis Hospital is offering free parking to Evanston residents in its parking garage, located at Sherman Avenue and Austin Street, from Thursday, Dec. 22 at 12:01 a.m. through Monday, Dec. 26 at noon. Community members may park on the 3rd level of the garage and above.
ETHS Parking Lot 1 and 1A (east of Dodge, south of Davis)
Fri., Dec. 23 at 5 p.m. through Mon., Dec. 26 at noon
Community members may park in ETHS Parking Lots 1 and 1A from Friday, Dec. 23 at 5 p.m. through Monday, Dec. 26 at noon. Drivers should enter the lots from Davis Street east of Dodge Avenue.
City Parking Lots
Thurs., Dec. 22 at 12:01 a.m. through Mon., Dec. 26 at 11:59 p.m.
The City is offering free parking in the following surface parking lots from Thursday, Dec. 22 at 12:01 a.m. through Monday, Dec. 26 at 11:59 p.m.:
- Lot 1, South Boulevard and Hinman Avenue (metered spaces only)
- Lot 3, 1700 Chicago Ave.
- Lot 4, Central Street at Stewart Avenue (metered spaces only)
- Lot 8, 811 Main St. (metered spaces only)
- Lot 16, 800/900 Noyes St. at the CTA tracks
- Lot 24, 727 Main St.
- Lot 51, 927 Noyes St. (metered spaces only)
- Lot 54, Central Street Metra Station
- James Park Lot, between the west field house and the hill, as well as the parking spaces on Mulford Street along the CTA tracks
- Levy Senior Center parking lot
- Metered spaces in the 1400 and 1500 blocks of Sheridan Road, from Greenwood Street to Forest Place. Overnight parking restrictions and metered parking fees for this area will be waived. Parking in permit-only spaces is prohibited.
- Robert Crown Community Center lot (east of the exit at Dewey Avenue)
View a map of surface parking lots (.pdf).
For more information, please call/text 847-448-4311. For convenience, residents may simply dial 3-1-1 in Evanston.
Warming Centers
Community members are welcome to stay warm at the following City of Evanston locations during their operating hours:
Robert Crown Community Center, 1801 Main St.
- Wednesday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Saturday, 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center, 1655 Foster St.
- Wednesday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Community members who need shelter outside of these hours should call/text Evanston 311 at 847-448-4311 (open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Hours will be extended.) or the Evanston Police Department non-emergency service desk at 847-866-5000 (open 24/7).
Cold weather safety tips
The Evanston Health and Human Services Department advises community members to take precautions to stay safe during extremely cold weather, and to check on vulnerable neighbors and family members.
Who to call
- Dial 911 to report downed power lines and emergencies. Always call 911 to report an immediate threat to life or safety.
- Report downed trees, light poles, and other non-emergency issues to 311. Call or text 847-448-4311 or submit a service request online at cityofevanston.org/311.
- Report power outages. Check ComEd’s Outage Map for power outages in your area. Report any outages online or call 1-800-EDISON-1.
Be a good neighbor, shovel your sidewalks!
Don’t forget to clear your sidewalks of snow and ice to allow everyone, including seniors and those with disabilities, to travel safely. As a reminder:
- Property owners and occupants are responsible for clearing sidewalks within 24 hours after any accumulation of snow or ice; paths must be at least 36 inches wide. This includes crosswalks and accessibility ramps.
- Do not push snow onto adjacent streets, sidewalks or alleys.
- As snow rolls off plows, it will sometimes accumulate in driveway aprons, sidewalks and parkways. This is unavoidable, and it is the homeowner’s responsibility to keep their sidewalks clear. (See below for a driveway shoveling tip.)
- Remove snow from your steps and driveway so that essential workers, including Post Office carriers, first responders, and delivery drivers who often carry packages and carts, have a clear path to safely approach homes and businesses.
- All sidewalks and walkways on multi-family properties must be cleared.
- If removing the snow is not possible, use salt or sand to eliminate the hazard.
- Clear snow from around trash and recycling containers so that crews can access and empty them.
- Adopt a fire hydrant. Clear snow so that first responders can see and access it in the event of an emergency.
Get assistance: The Snow Shoveling Assistance Program connects senior and disabled residents with volunteers who are willing to provide snow shoveling services.
Have a driveway? Shovel snow in the same direction that traffic is moving and clear snow from the opposite side to provide a space for plows to drop snow.
Reminder: Clear the area around refuse carts
Clear snow from around your trash and recycling carts so that crews can access and empty them.