Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee salt shortage; DNR urges residents to use less amid winter demand
Milwaukee salt shortage awareness
Milwaukee salt suppliers say inventories are running low, while the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources urges residents to use less salt to protect waterways and save money during winter storms.
MILWAUKEE – Local businesses say road salt supplies are running low in Milwaukee, prompting the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to urge residents and contractors to think carefully about how much salt they use.
What we know:
Brad Davis, owner of Premier Landscape Products, said demand has surged as inventories lag following two relatively slow winters that limited stockpiling. His Milwaukee-based, veteran-owned company sells salt and provides commercial snow removal services.
“It’s been crazy. We’re one of the only distributers here in the Milwaukee area,” said Davis. “It’s insane.”
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He said constant phone calls and inquiries have become the norm as customers search for salt.
Premier Landscape Products has salt available at a time when supplies are tight across the region, Davis said, though getting it has become more complicated.
What they’re saying:
“We’re trying to keep prices down. Here at port – we had a large allotment – then it went to Illinois, we had an allotment there that closed,” Davis said. “And now it’s coming straight from the mine – 10 hours away.”
Davis said storms across the country have contributed to the shortage, with municipalities receiving priority access to salt supplies.
“We had some really intense ice storms and major storms that went through the heartland of our country that they are just not prepared,” said Davis.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said the shortage is a good reminder to evaluate how much salt is being used and to consider ways to reduce usage to protect waterways.
“If you use less, you’re still going to allow people to be safe and protect the environment at the same time,” said Shannon Haydin, stormwater section manager for the Wisconsin DNR.
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Haydin said excess salt use sends chloride into lakes, groundwater and streams, where it can become toxic to aquatic life.
“We do have streams in southeastern Wisconsin that are as salty as the ocean,” said Haydin.
Dig deeper:
The DNR said it is not opposed to salt use altogether, noting it plays an important role in ice management and public safety, but officials hope people will think twice before using too much.
“You can reuse it and it’ll save you money and help save the environment,” said Haydin.
The DNR recommends measuring salt carefully, saying an 8-ounce coffee mug should be enough to salt about 10 sidewalk squares.
The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.
MILWAUKEE – Forecast from FOX6 Meteorologist Lisa Michaels
Frosty Monday morning with temps in the teens inland to low 20s near the lake.
Mostly sunny to sunny skies on Monday. Highs in the mid-40s inland, upper 30s near the lake.
A total lunar eclipse will happen Tuesday morning, total eclipse from 5-6am. It may be tough to see due to increasing clouds.
Increasing clouds on Tuesday with highs in the low 40s. Chance of rain and storms possible Wednesday through Friday with warming temperatures.
Today: 39 Lake. Mostly sunny.
High: 44°
Wind: SE 5-10
Tonight: Partly cloudy this evening, mostly clear overnight.
Low: 27°
Wind: SE 5
Tuesday: 39 Lake. Mostly cloudy.
High: 43°
Wind: E 5-10
Wednesday:41 Lake. Chance for scattered showers and t-storms.
AM Low: 32° High: 45°
Wind: E 5-10
Thursday: 39 Lake. Mostly cloudy. Chance storms.
AM Low: 37° High: 42°
Wind: NE 5-10
Friday: Chance for showers and t-storms Warmer. Warming at night.
AM Low: 37° High: 57°
Wind: SE 5-15
Saturday: Mostly cloudy with AM rain showers. Blustery with falling afternoon temperatures.
AM Low: 47° High: 53°
Wind: NE 5-10
6-day planner
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Local perspective:
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Maps and radar
We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.
School and business closings
When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.
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Community members and city leaders celebrated the opening of four new community-powered fridges on the North Side of Milwaukee. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Friday, Feb. 27, at Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, 3624 W. North Ave., to mark the occasion.
The effort to fight food scarcity by opening community-powered fridges comes after several grocery stores closed in the area, creating a food desert.
District 15 Ald. Russell W. Stamper II, who saw several grocery stores in his district close over the past few years, served as the event’s emcee.
“We could either complain about the problem, or we could come together to find a solution,” Stamper said.
In July 2025, a Pick ‘n Save on the North Side closed, prompting the opening of a community-powered fridge at Tricklebee Café in the Sherman Park and Uptown area. Since then, several other grocery stores have closed in the area.
This led Stamper, FEED MKE, Metcalfe Park Community Bridges and One MKE to open four more community-powered fridges.
Christie Melby-Gibbons, executive director of Tricklebee Café, talked about the organization’s community-powered fridge. About a week ago, the fridge was empty for the first time since its launch, so staff turned to their online community for support.
“Within 20 minutes, a woman came in with bags of food and filled the fridge for less than $100,” Melby-Gibbons said.
The community-powered fridge network is run by residents on a take-what-you-need, leave-what-you-can model. Taking a grassroots approach to solving food insecurity in the area, community members provide fresh produce and other healthy food options to ensure that their neighbors have access to nutritious foods.
“Everybody deserves to eat. I can’t go to sleep at night knowing my neighbors are hungry,” said Melody McCurtis, deputy director of Metcalfe Park Community Bridges.
Here’s a list of all the community-powered fridges:
Metcalfe Park Community Bridges
3624 W. North Ave.
Rooted & Rising- Washington Park
3940 W. Lisbon Ave.
Sherman Park Community Association
3526 W. Fond du Lac Ave.
Dominican Center
2470 W. Locust St.
Tricklebee Café
4424 W. North Ave.
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
This article first appeared on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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