The Grimes Brief
When Grimes declares a snow ordinance, nobody can park on a public street anywhere in the city until it ends. City Code 7-10-11 says vehicles must be moved immediately once the ordinance is announced, and the city sets the start and end time for each storm.
Public Works calls it based on the forecast: snow, sleet, ice or blowing snow. For example, the Feb. 19, 2026 ordinance ran from 8 p.m. Thursday to 8 p.m. Friday. The Polk County Sheriff's Office handles enforcement once Public Works gives the word, per the city's Snow and Ice Control Policy. If you have no driveway room, the city offers extra parking at the South Sports Complex while an ordinance is on.
You can get a parking ticket, and an officer can have the car towed. City Code 7-11-6 allows towing of any vehicle left in violation of the snow ordinance, and also bars parking in public alleys and public lots during an ordinance except to load or unload. The owner pays towing and storage on top of the fine.
Major streets go first, then neighborhoods, then cul-de-sacs. The city's stated goal is to finish plowing within 8 hours after the snow stops, though big storms take longer.
The depth is when that level of service starts, per the city policy. Cul-de-sacs are usually plowed after the snow ends. Highway 141 and Highway 44 are plowed by the Iowa DOT, not the city. City plows do not clear private driveways, and the snow they leave at the end of yours is yours to move. Pushing snow from your driveway or sidewalk into the street is against city code.
Within 24 hours after the snow or ice stops. If you don't, the city may clear it and bill the cost to the property, collected like a property tax (City Code 8-3-3). While you're out there, clear a three-foot circle around any fire hydrant near you so the Johnston-Grimes Fire Department can find it.
Only if city equipment hit it directly, and only up to $100. The city repairs the mailbox itself with similar materials. It does not pay for damage from drifting or heavy snow. Mailboxes should sit 8 inches behind the face of the curb and follow USPS guidelines; if the city flags yours before winter and it is not fixed, the city is not responsible for damage.
When the City of Grimes declares a snow ordinance for snow, sleet, ice or blowing snow, no one may park on a public street in the city. Vehicles must be moved as soon as the ordinance is announced, and it runs for the start and end times the city sets.
Sign up for the city's WENS alerts by text, voice or email at the link on grimesiowa.gov. The city also posts snow ordinances on its Facebook page and in the news section of its website.
Yes. City code lets a peace officer remove any vehicle left parked in violation of the snow ordinance, and the owner pays the towing and storage costs on top of the parking fine. Any unpaid parking tickets must also be paid before the car is released.
Only if city equipment hit the mailbox directly. The city repairs or replaces the mailbox itself, with similar materials, up to 100 dollars. It does not pay for damage from drifting or the weight of snow, or for a mailbox the city already flagged as out of compliance and that was not fixed.
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