I think that given the weather conditions that you have a good case for appeal.

Overnight ticketing seems to be their MO. I also received a ticket at 2-3am when some tenants left a bunch of trash bags after moving. I don't know if the police do this or they have some kind of "trash patrol". I imagine that they do it in the wee hours because they can move around the city more quickly and no one will see them skulking around people's side yards with cameras. Quite creepy in a way and while I can understand the sanitation issues it does smack of revenue generation.