Winter Parking Information
Winter Parking Information
Each winter, we work hard to ensure your parking experience is as safe and satisfactory as possible during winter weather.
Facilities Operations and Development (FOD), Transportation and Traffic Management (TTM), the Department of Public Safety, and CampusParc work together to offer services during the winter months to keep you safe.
We work to clear parking areas of snow and ice as quickly as possible
With the arrival of the winter months comes the consistent threat of wintry weather. As the safety of our customers is our top priority, we take snow and ice removal very seriously, and make plans well in advance of each storm to ensure conditions in our facilities are as safe as possible.
Garage rooftops may close due to inclement weather
Winter brings with it the occasional need to close garage rooftops due to snow and/or ice accumulation. The amount of precipitation and the outdoor temperature contribute to the decision to close rooftops. Due to their exposure to the elements, rooftops get cold faster and remain cold longer than surface lots or roads. Please take extra caution when driving and walking through all levels of the garages. Our ultimate consideration is for the safety of our customers. We appreciate your understanding and urge drivers to heed garage rooftop closure notices.
Use discretion when parking on a snowy day
If precipitation on the ground makes it difficult to determine where parking lines are, please use discretion and avoid parking in such a way that would block other vehicles in or prevent clear access in drive lanes.
Pass along problem areas
If you notice a snowy or icy area that requires attention, please let us know. Areas within surface lots and garages can be passed along to CampusParc via email.
Feedback regarding other areas on university property, such as roadways or sidewalks, should be directed to Facilities Operations and Development.
Pothole patrol
As you are likely aware, frequent freezing and thawing of road and parking lot surfaces often results in potholes. You can help by notifying us of potholes and other weather damage that you encounter in garages or surface lots. Simply email our Customer Care Center (Weather damage to campus roads should be reported to 292-HELP.) See the Routine Care and Maintenance page for additional information.
Parking on campus during holidays: there are still restrictions
While garage and surface lot availability increases for permit holders after 4 p.m. weekdays, weekends, and university-observed holidays, some restrictions remain. Permit holders without specific permit access should never park in restricted parking spaces, all of which are indicated by signage. This restriction applies at all times, even during holiday breaks. Consult the Off-Peak Parking page for additional information.
Check SpaceTracker before you drive to campus
SpaceTracker provides estimated real-time parking availability in garages and select surface lots and is located on the CampusParc homepage, OSU Mobile App, and OneSource. SpaceTracker cannot take into consideration parking spaces reserved for valet or ADA Accessible parking or by university departments or units, which has varying levels of implication depending on the facility.
Make sure the license plate of the vehicle you park on campus is linked to your current permit
Driving a rental car? Borrowed a car from a friend? Purchased a new one? Make sure the license plate of the vehicle you park on campus is linked to your permit before you park on campus. You can link your license plate to your permit online.
Let CampusParc help if we can
Our Customer Service staff is available via email and Twitter to answer questions and help solve problems.
Due to accumulating snow and/or ice, one or more garage rooftops may be barricaded and closed to customers. Like bridges, garage rooftops freeze more quickly and remain cold longer than pavement at ground level. Consequently, conditions in garages typically deteriorate more rapidly than their surface lot counterparts.
The safety of our customers and staff is our first priority. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to remove accumulated snow and re-treat the roofs in an effort to provide a clean and safe place to park. Our staff will continue to monitor parking lots and garages and reopen rooftops as soon as possible.
Please Note: Disregarding posted signs and parking on closed rooftops creates a safety risk and increases the amount of time needed to clear the area. Vehicles remaining on closed garage rooftops will be subject to citation.
Additional Information on Rooftop Closures
We are mindful of the impact that rooftop closures have on our customers and try to limit the amount of time rooftops are closed. As inclement winter weather approaches, surface lots and garage rooftops are pre-treated as conditions dictate. However, pre-treatment does not guarantee safe parking surfaces. When necessary, rooftops are barricaded and closed to customers to allow for the removal of accumulated snow and/or ice and to re-treat the roofs in an effort to provide a clean and safe place to park.
If inclement winter weather occurs overnight and during early morning hours when temperatures often are at their lowest, the effectiveness of the pre-treatment may be reduced or eliminated. While we do plow with trucks equipped with special blades that will not damage the waterproof membrane surface of the garage, these blades are generally ineffective when ice has accumulated.
We consistently monitor lots and garages during inclement winter weather and do everything we can to provide safe parking conditions for our customers. SpaceTracker, located on our homepage, is updated when rooftops are closed, which can be useful to finding the closest available parking. We appreciate your understanding as we work to provide a safe parking environment through the winter season.
Reporting Slippery Conditions
Find an icy spot in a garage or parking lot? Please report it as soon as possible at osuinfo@campusparc.com or call 614.688.0000.
We'll provide updates on garage rooftop closures as they become available.
| Garage | Rooftop Status |
| 9th Avenue East | OPEN |
| 9th Avenue West | OPEN |
| 11th Avenue | OPEN |
| 12th Avenue | OPEN |
| Arps | OPEN |
| Gateway | OPEN |
| Lane Avenue | OPEN |
| Neil Avenue | OPEN |
| Northwest | OPEN |
| Ohio Union North | OPEN |
| Ohio Union South | OPEN |
| SAFEAUTO | OPEN |
| Tuttle | OPEN |
| West Lane Avenue | OPEN |
| Wexner Medical Center | OPEN |
No winter closures at this time.
With the arrival of the winter months comes the consistent threat of wintry weather. As the safety of our customers is our top priority, we take snow and ice removal very seriously, and make plans well in advance of each storm to ensure conditions in our facilities are as safe as possible.
What we Treat
CampusParc is responsible for treating parking facilities and any sidewalks or drive lanes within them. Any areas outside our facilities would be the responsibility of another entity to treat. For more information on university or city grounds, please refer to “University or City Property” below.
Preparing and Pre-Treating
Our team keeps a close eye on weather forecasts during the winter months and schedules crews in advance to begin clearing precipitation for each storm.
When possible, crews will pre-treat the surfaces of parking facilities. However, pre-treating is not an effective solution in every circumstance. The effects of pre-treating can be negated by rain washing away product that’s been applied. Additionally, once temperatures fall below a certain threshold, pre-treating product loses its effectiveness.
Snow Removal
In addition to our own crews, we enlist additional help from vendors to expedite the snow removal process. However, because there are 16 garages and 188 surface lots on campus, clearing all campus parking facilities can still take some time. Factors that affect how long it can take to clear campus include (but are not limited to):
- The timing of the storm. A storm that begins and ends at night is easier to clear than one that takes place during the day. The fewer vehicles there are on campus, the more spaces we can clear of precipitation. A night storm would also allow us to clear as much precipitation as we can before the bulk of vehicles that park on campus do so, which is during the day.
- The length of the storm. A storm that starts or carries over into peak hours will prevent us from clearing precipitation while vehicles are parked or will park during that time.
- Conditions and precipitation. Icy precipitation presents more challenges to clear than snow. Significant wind can also blow snow, making it more difficult to clear. Additionally, depending on the weather conditions leading up to the storm, the ability to pre-treat may or may not be an effective option.
While we work diligently to remove precipitation as soon as possible, it may take several hours following the completion of a storm to clear all parking facilities, depending on the volume of precipitation, as well as the factors above. We appreciate your patience during these times.
Garages and Rooftops
Like bridges, garage rooftops freeze more quickly and remain cold longer than pavement at ground level. Consequently, conditions in garages typically deteriorate more rapidly than their surface lot counterparts. Due to accumulating snow and/or ice, one or more garage rooftops may be barricaded and closed to customers. While we understand the inconvenience this may cause, the safety of our customers is our first priority.
Decks below the roof also present challenges. Because sunlight does not enter these decks very well, it is difficult for the sun’s heat to melt snow. Additionally, vehicles may track snow in the garage from off the street.
Parking in the Snow
It is possible that parking lines will be difficult to see for those arriving on campus. Within reason, we generally do note cite vehicles for parking over the line when lines are obstructed by snow. However, please use caution and discretion when parking during these times. Please use available visible cues, such as parking blocks and permit sign posts, to park within designated parking areas and keep drive lanes clear so vehicles may safely pass.
Reporting Problem Areas
We appreciate your patience during wintry weather. Please know we are doing our absolute best to clear all parking areas as soon as we possibly can. If you notice any problem areas within our facilities, please contact us at 614-688-0000 or osuinfo@campusparc.com.
University or City Property
The university would treat Any sidewalks, roadways, or other areas outside of parking facilities on university grounds. If you have feedback regarding these areas, please contact Service2Facilities at 614-292-4357. More information on the university’s winter weather efforts can be found on TTM's website.
Similarly, city roadways would be treated by the City of Columbus. Feedback regarding these areas may be directed to 311 at 614-645-3111.
