Forecast and conditions
Periods of snow are expected to begin tomorrow morning, and will continue through the afternoon, evening and overnight with 10 to 15 centimetres possible by Thursday morning. Given the timing of this event and accumulation amounts remain variable, we will confirm an Overnight Winter Weather Parking Ban before 9 am tomorrow morning.
This is the first snow event of the season, and residents are reminded to exercise caution while using all of our transportation networks.
Our response
The Roads and Parking Services team is ready, and all available resources will be deployed! We have been getting our equipment prepared and our salt domes filled. As accumulation begins, crews will be working on treating sidewalks, roads and our winter cycling network in accordance with the Council-approved Maintenance Quality Standards. Crews are mindful that ground remains soft and will make every effort to avoid damage to lawns.
As a reminder, we are asking for your patience as operations may take longer than normal as staff are getting used to their newly assigned routes and as we adjust to the variable weather conditions.
Seasonal Closure - Chief William Commanda Bridge
Given the amount of snow in the forecast and with temperatures expected to be consistently well below zero in the days to follow, starting Wednesday morning at 7am, the bridge will be closed for the 2024/2025 winter season as it will be unsafe for public use. To ensure the safety of residents, new gates have been installed to prevent access to the bridge, as well as signage identifying the closure. City staff will monitor weather patterns and will use the gates to open and/or close the bridge during the spring and fall seasons, as required.
Resident Support is Required
- Flashing blue lights means we are hard at work. If you see a sidewalk plow approaching, please step aside into an open driveway. Always remember to stay at least 3 car lengths behind our vehicles – please never pass our vehicles.
- There is no need to create a service request for routine snow clearing. We are on the job and our efforts are currently needed out in the community; service requests should only be created for emergencies.
- Please place garbage, recycling, and organic collection bins in your driveway and not on the road or sidewalks. Residents can sign up to receive reminders and service alerts for their waste collection day by email or phone call at ottawa.ca/CollectionCalendar or can download the Ottawa Collection Calendar mobile app for Apple and Android devices to confirm their collection day.
- Do you need volunteer hours? Become a Snow Angel! Support your community by helping someone you know who is elderly or has a disability, by clearing snow or ice from their driveway, steps or walkway. More information on the Snow Angel Program is available on Ottawa.ca.
Next steps
The Roads and Parking Services team will continue to monitor the weather over the next 48 hours. Updates to come as City staff track this system moving through the region.
