Motorcycle Storage: Local Deadlines by City
Store your motorcycle as freezing nights arrive and riding gets impractical — a point that comes on a different date in each city below. Fuel-stabilize a full tank, put the battery on a tender, and resist starting the bike for a few minutes each week. In spring, the last-freeze date guides your roll-out. This paraphrases enthusiast publications and manufacturers.
Deadlines for the largest cities
| City | State | Local deadline | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | NY | Nov 20 | View → |
| Los Angeles | CA | Jan 2 | View → |
| Chicago | IL | Nov 5 | View → |
| Houston | TX | Dec 25 | View → |
| Philadelphia | PA | Nov 17 | View → |
| Phoenix | AZ | Jan 3 | View → |
| San Antonio | TX | Nov 28 | View → |
| Dallas | TX | Nov 29 | View → |
| San Jose | CA | Dec 25 | View → |
| Austin | TX | Nov 17 | View → |
| Indianapolis | IN | Oct 21 | View → |
| Jacksonville | FL | Jan 5 | View → |
| San Francisco | CA | Dec 25 | View → |
| Columbus | OH | Oct 24 | View → |
| Charlotte | NC | Nov 3 | View → |
| Fort Worth | TX | Nov 24 | View → |
| Detroit | MI | Oct 31 | View → |
| El Paso | TX | Nov 20 | View → |
| Memphis | TN | Nov 16 | View → |
| Seattle | WA | Nov 17 | View → |
| Denver | CO | Oct 12 | View → |
| Washington | DC | Nov 8 | View → |
| Boston | MA | Nov 9 | View → |
| Nashville | TN | Oct 31 | View → |
| Baltimore | MD | Nov 21 | View → |
| Oklahoma City | OK | Nov 2 | View → |
| Louisville | KY | Nov 9 | View → |
| Portland | OR | Dec 1 | View → |
| Las Vegas | NV | Dec 10 | View → |
| Milwaukee | WI | Oct 22 | View → |
| Albuquerque | NM | Nov 3 | View → |
| Tucson | AZ | Dec 17 | View → |
| Fresno | CA | Dec 14 | View → |
| Sacramento | CA | Dec 16 | View → |
| Long Beach | CA | Jan 5 | View → |
| Kansas City | MO | Nov 2 | View → |
| Mesa | AZ | Dec 5 | View → |
| Virginia Beach | VA | Nov 12 | View → |
| Atlanta | GA | Nov 8 | View → |
| Colorado Springs | CO | Oct 8 | View → |
| Omaha | NE | Oct 21 | View → |
| Raleigh | NC | Nov 8 | View → |
| Oakland | CA | Jan 1 | View → |
| Minneapolis | MN | Oct 16 | View → |
| Tulsa | OK | Nov 4 | View → |
| Cleveland | OH | Nov 12 | View → |
| Wichita | KS | Oct 29 | View → |
| Arlington | TX | Nov 20 | View → |
| New Orleans | LA | Dec 31 | View → |
| Bakersfield | CA | Dec 8 | View → |
Find every covered city for your state in the list below.
Storage that actually protects the bike
Fill the tank and add stabilizer so condensation and fuel breakdown do not attack the tank and fuel system. Change the oil so acids in used oil do not sit on internal parts. Put the battery on a tender for the whole layup — brief weekly starts leave moisture behind without fully charging the battery.
Set tire pressure to spec and lift the wheels with stands if you can, so the tires do not flat-spot. Plug the exhaust and airbox loosely against mice, and cover the bike with a breathable cover indoors.
The spring roll-out
In spring, remove any exhaust plugs, reconnect the charged battery, check tire pressure and brakes, and look for leaks before the first ride. Clean and lube the chain. Take an easy first ride to re-familiarize yourself and confirm everything works before a longer trip.
How we time the season
We mark the season's close near each station's median first 32°F freeze and the spring roll-out near the median last freeze. The live outlook on each city page flags a run of sub-45°F nights as a practical signal to lay up. See the methodology page.
Find your state
Alabama
12 cities · deadlines from Nov 3–Dec 6
Alaska
2 cities · deadlines from Sep 29–Oct 22
Arizona
23 cities · deadlines from Jan 3–Dec 29
Arkansas
10 cities · deadlines from Oct 26–Nov 16
California
210 cities · deadlines from Jan 1–Dec 31
Colorado
21 cities · deadlines from Oct 1–Oct 23
Connecticut
15 cities · deadlines from Oct 16–Nov 6
Delaware
2 cities · deadlines from Nov 4–Nov 4
District of Columbia
1 cities · deadlines from Nov 8–Nov 8
Florida
54 cities · deadlines from Jan 5–Dec 29
Georgia
18 cities · deadlines from Nov 7–Dec 4
Idaho
9 cities · deadlines from Oct 1–Oct 21
Illinois
52 cities · deadlines from Oct 13–Nov 5
Indiana
21 cities · deadlines from Oct 18–Nov 10
Iowa
13 cities · deadlines from Oct 7–Oct 22
Kansas
11 cities · deadlines from Oct 19–Nov 2
Kentucky
6 cities · deadlines from Oct 24–Nov 9
Louisiana
9 cities · deadlines from Nov 15–Dec 31
Maine
2 cities · deadlines from Oct 15–Oct 16
Maryland
7 cities · deadlines from Oct 22–Nov 21
Massachusetts
36 cities · deadlines from Oct 5–Nov 9
Michigan
31 cities · deadlines from Oct 10–Oct 31
Minnesota
25 cities · deadlines from Sep 30–Oct 18
Mississippi
6 cities · deadlines from Nov 12–Dec 14
Missouri
16 cities · deadlines from Oct 17–Nov 4
Montana
5 cities · deadlines from Sep 22–Oct 1
Nebraska
4 cities · deadlines from Oct 13–Oct 21
Nevada
6 cities · deadlines from Oct 6–Dec 15
New Hampshire
3 cities · deadlines from Oct 3–Oct 12
New Jersey
22 cities · deadlines from Oct 26–Nov 21
New Mexico
7 cities · deadlines from Oct 6–Nov 13
New York
17 cities · deadlines from Oct 11–Nov 20
North Carolina
22 cities · deadlines from Oct 31–Nov 20
North Dakota
4 cities · deadlines from Sep 30–Oct 3
Ohio
33 cities · deadlines from Oct 12–Nov 12
Oklahoma
11 cities · deadlines from Oct 30–Nov 5
Oregon
14 cities · deadlines from Sep 20–Dec 5
Pennsylvania
13 cities · deadlines from Oct 19–Nov 17
Rhode Island
6 cities · deadlines from Oct 19–Oct 30
South Carolina
12 cities · deadlines from Nov 1–Dec 30
South Dakota
3 cities · deadlines from Oct 3–Oct 13
Tennessee
17 cities · deadlines from Oct 21–Nov 16
Texas
83 cities · deadlines from Jan 1–Dec 31
Utah
19 cities · deadlines from Oct 2–Nov 10
Vermont
2 cities · deadlines from Oct 9–Oct 15
Virginia
17 cities · deadlines from Oct 19–Nov 16
Washington
28 cities · deadlines from Oct 4–Nov 23
West Virginia
2 cities · deadlines from Oct 26–Oct 30
Wisconsin
20 cities · deadlines from Oct 4–Oct 26
Wyoming
2 cities · deadlines from Sep 29–Oct 1
Get the Motorcycle Storage alert
We will email you when local conditions cross the line. Double opt-in; unsubscribe anytime.
Frequently asked questions
When does riding season end?
Should I start it during storage?
Full or empty tank?
How do I keep mice out?
Tender or trickle charger?
Should I change the oil first?
How do I prevent flat-spotting tires?
How do I prep for spring?
Other winter-prep guides
See the methodology for how these dates are calculated and their limits, and the data sources behind them.
Data: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals; live outlook by Open-Meteo. Last updated: July 11, 2026.