On a snow night in Hailey the real work starts after midnight. Plows run River Street and Main Street, crews push downtown snow into a ridge down the middle of the road, and any car parked too close to the asphalt is in the way. Hailey's own snow brochure says the main plowing happens at night, usually begins once 3 inches have fallen, and may be followed by a second cleanup pass the next night.
Hailey's overnight winter parking restriction began November 1 and lasts until May 1. Most people in town know the basics. The less familiar part is the money. Each rule on the city's list, from the 6-foot setback to the mailbox distance, exists so a small budget can still cover a whole winter.
A budget measured in storms
The City of Hailey snow removal page is direct about it. A 6-inch snow event costs about $16,000 to clear, and the budget is "limited to just a few snow events." Because the city can't predict how much snow a winter will bring, it works toward two goals: keep the roads safe, and keep the main roads and sidewalks open.
That limit is behind the 3-inch line that shapes everything else:
| Snowfall | What the city does |
|---|---|
| Less than 3 inches | De-ices and sands roads; plows major sidewalks along Woodside Blvd. and in the business core |
| 3 inches or more | Plows priority areas first, then neighborhood streets; keeps de-icing, sanding and sidewalk plowing |
The city's page also says, "The more snow we have, the longer it takes to get to lower priority areas." A light dusting may never bring a plow down your block. A heavy storm will, but only after the higher-priority streets are done.
The order the plows follow
The current city page lists the first priorities as school zones, safety and fire facilities, main arterials and other collector streets. Neighborhood streets come after those. The city's 2020–21 snow removal policy named the streets in each tier. That list is several winters old, but it shows how the system is built:
- Priority one: Main, River, 2nd, 3rd, McKercher, Myrtle, Bullion, Croy, Elm between Main and 3rd, Fox Acres, Woodside, Countryside, Airport Way and Aviation.
- Priority two: Eastridge, Cedar, Silverstar, War Eagle, Robinhood, Northridge, 4th, Elm between Main and Aspen, Maple, Buckhorn, Quigley, Empty Saddle, Sixth, Mother Lode Loop and Glenbrook/Industrial Park.
- The remaining residential and local streets: these may stay unplowed until the higher tiers are finished, and under that policy may not be plowed at all unless conditions call for it.
The streets that carry traffic through town and connect neighborhoods to Main Street get plowed first. A cul-de-sac off one of those roads waits its turn. On a 6-inch night, those streets are where the $16,000 goes.
Why the rule is 6 feet at midnight
Plowing at night only works if the edges of the road are clear. The city's rules for residents follow from that:
- No overnight parking from midnight to 7 a.m., November 1 to May 1, anywhere in the city right of way. On streets without curb and gutter, vehicles must be at least 6 feet off the edge of the asphalt.
- Belongings go too. The November 2026 Our Town newsletter asks residents to move campers, cars and other items farther back on their property, and warns that a vehicle with an orange notice will likely be towed this winter if it stays where it is.
- Mailboxes sit 8 feet back from the pavement, and residents clear that area themselves so the mail can be delivered.
- Trash and recycling containers stay back from the roadway during snowstorms.
- Driveway snow stays off the street. Residents may not push, shovel or plow snow into the roadway, and the city doesn't clear the berm a plow leaves across a driveway. The newsletter calls those berms "a fact of winter living in Hailey" and suggests hiring a private snow contractor if clearing one is too much.
The city does enforce the parking rule. In her January 2026 newsletter, Mayor Martha Burke wrote that on December 21, 2025, Hailey towed 24 vehicles and ticketed 167 for breaking winter parking rules. That was the Sunday before Christmas. She apologized for disrupting family gatherings and holiday plans and added, "the safety of our roadways will continue to take priority." She also wrote that the city spent November 2025 reminding residents with vehicle fliers, public service announcements and social media posts.
The November newsletter notes that towing doesn't happen every night, but on most snow nights the city tows so crews can plow River Street, Main Street, the downtown side streets and any residential street where a vehicle sits within 6 feet of the pavement.
Downtown's haul nights
Downtown follows a different routine. Crews pile snow in the middle of the street, and after the storm it is hauled to the city's Croy Canyon storage site. The city's brochure describes a "big haul night" as about 200 truckloads moved by eight trucks. That is why cars parked overnight on Main Street and the downtown side streets get towed first. The road has to be clear from curb to curb for the snow to be piled and loaded.
Sidewalks follow the same priorities. The city clears improved curb-and-gutter sidewalks in the downtown commercial district and on the east side of Woodside. West-side Woodside sidewalks, including group mailboxes and bus shelters, are cleared "as resources permit." Property owners have rules too. Hailey city code bars moving snow from private property onto a public sidewalk. It also bars putting roof snow on a sidewalk without removing it right away, or letting it slide onto one without promptly dealing with the hazard.
Where a car ends up, and where it can go instead
Towed cars go to one of two temporary tow lots: the River Street Park and Ride at River and Bullion, or Countryside and Shenandoah. Under the city's code, illegally parked vehicles can be towed without notice at the owner's expense. The fee schedule adopted for fiscal 2026, effective October 1, 2025, set $43 for a vehicle obstructing snow removal and $133 when a vehicle has to be towed for plowing, up from $42 and $129 the year before.
Households with more vehicles than off-street space have another option. The Hailey Urban Renewal Agency page lists HURA Free Public Parking at the North River Street Parking Lot, 111 Empty Saddle Trail. According to the posted lot rules, stays are limited to 72 hours, and only operational cars, pickups and SUVs are allowed, with no trailers, campers or oversized vehicles. After any storm with 3 inches of accumulation, vehicles must be moved between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. so the lot can be cleared, or they may be towed. A 2026 city flyer also offers month-to-month rental spaces at the same address for $50 a month. Check the current terms with the city before relying on either arrangement for the season.
To know when a snow night is coming, sign up through the CodeRED alert link in the November newsletter, or use the snow removal alert link on the city's snow page. Fee amounts and towing rules can change from year to year. This post is general information, not legal or financial advice, so confirm the current details with the City of Hailey.
A priority-one street with a new stop
Countryside Blvd, a priority-one street in the 2020–21 policy, has something new this winter. The November newsletter reports that Whitney McNees, who has spent more than 20 years in the Wood River Valley and 15 in Woodside, has opened Countryside Cornerstore at 819 Countryside Blvd. She modeled it on the corner stores she grew up with in New Jersey. It sells coffee, ice cream, dinner items, gifts and household essentials, plus handmade goods from more than 10 local artists and producers. For Woodside residents, it's a neighborhood stop for coffee or a few essentials on a snowy morning.
If you're weighing a Hailey home with winter in mind, it helps to know where the street falls in the plow order, how much off-street parking the lot really has, and whether the mailbox meets the 8-foot setback. Dawn Sabo is glad to go through those details with you on a specific property or street. Request a complimentary market consultation & home valuation.
