Although snow started later than expected, the accumulation held steady and then some, with Ottawa receiving 18 centimetres of snow, reported at the airport as of 4pm this afternoon. The Weather Advisory remains in effect for the Ottawa region.
Forecast and Conditions
The snow is tapering off and the winds are calming down. Periods of light snow will make a return tomorrow in the late morning to early afternoon and run through until the mid-evening hours, with 2 to 3 centimetres of accumulation expected. Looking ahead to next week, Ottawa is in for a cold snap with more seasonal temperatures and some sunshine.
Snow accumulation and the drop in temperature could create difficult travel conditions. Residents are reminded to exercise caution while using all of our transportation networks.
Our Response
All resources are deployed, and the focus remains on clearing and treating our sidewalks, priority roads and the winter cycling network. Crews are also expected to work overnight in residential neighbourhoods to ensure streets are clear for the morning commute.
The theme of the week is cleanup! These back-to-back events of persistent snowfall and drifting snow are making cleanup a challenge - we know it will take longer than usual, but our crews are hard at work. Please be kind and patient as our operators do their job. A wave and a smile of appreciation can go a long way.
As we progress through the week, crews will continue to clear sidewalks, touch up arterial roads and work in residential areas to clean up and treat icy conditions. They will also focus on snow removal, cleaning up any problem areas such as bus stops, crosswalks, intersections, pedestrian islands, corners, and cul-de-sacs.
A Winter Weather Parking Ban is in Effect
A Winter Weather Parking Ban is in effect until tomorrow, January 30, at 7 am. Please remove your vehicle from the road or risk being ticketed. Though residential parking permit holders or parking on our commercial main streets are exempt, we encourage those who can, to please find off-street parking options to help operators clear and treat as close to the curb as possible.
Information on where to park during a Winter Weather Parking Ban is available on Ottawa.ca/winterparking.
Snowbank Removal Operations Will Resume
In certain areas of the city, snowbank removal operations are expected to resume Monday, and residential streets within our urban core that have not yet been completed will be prioritized.
Once snowbank removal work is scheduled, temporary no parking signs will go up advising everyone that the work is about to begin. When and where these signs go up, parked vehicles must be removed from the roadway and failure to do-so will result in a ticket and tow to a nearby street. No one is exempt from these restrictions, including those with an on-street parking permit.
Next Steps
The Roads and Parking Services team has been at it non-stop for several weeks, and the 7-day forecast looks favourable for crews to have a chance to get caught up and take a deep breath. As always, we are at the mercy of Mother Nature, so supervisors will continue to monitor the forecast, the transportation network and adjust our response according to the weather conditions.
