MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee residents are expressing frustration as leaf piles remain buried under snow and ice more than a week after a post-Thanksgiving snowstorm, with some areas still waiting for city cleanup crews to address the mess.

The issue has become one of the main complaints brought to Alderman Lamont Westmoreland’s office, discussed during this month’s town hall meeting focused on the city’s leaf collection problems.

“In our area, they have done a terrible job as well,” Rose Lane said.

The Department of Public Works had not finished its leaf collection before the snowstorm hit shortly after Thanksgiving. When snow plows made their way through the streets, they avoided large leaf piles and pushed smaller ones back up into the curb, creating additional problems for residents.

“Pretty soon, the entire street was occupied by leaves, and nobody could park,” said Randy Crawford, a resident of the fifth district.

Watch: Milwaukee residents frustrated as leaf piles remain buried under snow

Leaf cleanup delays frustrate Milwaukee residents after snowstorm

Not everyone blames the city entirely for the situation.

“But I don’t think it was entirely the city’s fault, like I said, it’s just Mother Nature,” Crawford said.

In a release on Monday, DPW said many large piles of leaves around the city are marked and will be addressed in the coming weeks. Residents can report large piles for the department’s consideration.

However, the city says leaves pushed to the curb or into driveways by snow plows generally won’t be addressed, meaning some areas might not see cleanup until spring.

DPW says it’s not feasible to resume rake-out and leaf consolidation until warmer weather returns.

Some residents hope for earlier action if conditions improve.

“I think if we do get a break in the weather in January, we should address that,” Crawford said.

Others are already planning for spring cleanup.

“I’ll have to do whatever I have to do to get rid of the leaves I don’t want my grass to die, so we’ll see what we do,” Joe Schorse said.

Brendyn Jones/TMJ4

For now, many leaves will remain stuck to the curb throughout the winter months.

This story was reported on-air by Brendyn Jones and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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The shortest day of the year is less than two weeks away, but many Wisconsinites are likely already looking forward to the return of daylight saving time — which will bring longer days and later sunsets.

As of Dec. 8, the sun is setting around 4:18 p.m. in Milwaukee, timeanddate.com shows. While daylight hours are gradually increasing, there’s still a bit of time before Milwaukee will see another 5 p.m. sunset.

Here’s what to know as we approach the winter solstice:

When will the sun start setting after 5 p.m. in Milwaukee?

In 2026, the first sunset after 5 p.m. in Milwaukee will be on Jan. 29, according to timeanddate.com. On this day, the sun will rise at 7:09 a.m. and set at 5 p.m. — giving the Cream City nine hours and 51 minutes of daylight.

When does daylight savings time begin in 2026?

Daylight saving time begins March 8, 2026 between 2 and 3 a.m.

More: Does daylight saving time 2025 end this weekend in Wisconsin? When does the time change?

When will the days get longer in Milwaukee again this winter?

Here’s an overview of when Milwaukee will start seeing longer days, according to data from timeanddate.com:

MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee police say two people were shot and wounded near 35th and Pierce on the city’s south side on Sunday evening, Dec. 7.

35th and Pierce shooting

What we know:

Officials said the shooting happened around 7 p.m. Sunday. 

Two people, ages 19 and 35, suffered gunshot wounds and were taken to a hospital for treatment.

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The circumstances leading up to the shooting are under investigation.  

Call with tips

What you can do:

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Milwaukee police at 414-935-7360 or, to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS or P3 Tips.