Take a look out your window, Ottawa; do you see it? The sun has come out! Perhaps Mother Nature has been struck by Cupid’s arrow and for today, we have a clear sky and sun. What will our Roads and Parking Services team be up to today? Clean up! With 32 centimetres that blanketed the city yesterday, there is still work to do and crews will be busy all day and night.
Forecast and conditions
It will be mainly sunny today and the wind will be 20 kilometres per hour gusting to 40, causing blowing and drifting snow in localized areas of the city. Residents are reminded to exercise caution when using the transportation network.
Given the amount of snow we received, the cleanup efforts required and more snow on the way, the Significant Weather Event remains in effect.
Our response
Supervisors continue to monitor the transportation network. Today, crews will focus on cleaning up the entire transportation network from yesterday’s snowfall. They will also take care of any problem areas such as bus stops, crosswalks, intersections, pedestrian islands, corners and cul de sacs. There’s a lot to accomplish, and it is going to take some, but crews will keep going until the transportation network has been restored.
As a reminder, Ottawa got a lot of snow, and the wind is creating localized blowing and drifting snow, so crews need extra time to get through the entire transportation network. Your patience is appreciated.
Winter weather parking ban is in effect
A Winter Weather Parking Ban is in effect until 7 pm tonight. When vehicles are removed from our streets, the Roads and Parking Services team can clear snow efficiently to create a wide-open roadway.
During this time, all vehicles must be removed from the roadway - unless you have an eligible parking permit or are accessing parking in our exempted commercial main streets. Though eligible parking permit holders are exempt, we encourage those who can, please try to find alternate parking during this time to prevent your vehicle from being snowed in. The City of Ottawa has several parking lots available for residents to park during a parking ban. Vehicles may remain parked at these sites for the duration of the ban and must be removed after the City announces that the ban has been lifted. Information on all parking options during a winter weather parking ban is available on Ottawa.ca/winterparking.
Residents can stay in the know about our winter weather parking bans by signing up for e-alerts at Ottawa.ca, or by downloading the City of Ottawa app.
Resident support is required
- Please help keep our streets clear and avoid shovelling snow onto the roadway, bike lanes, sidewalks, pathways and parks as it slows down our operations.
- With all that snow out there, it’s an exciting time to play, build snow forts and snowmen. It’s important children always do fun winter activities in the backyard and not on snowbanks along the road where our snowplow operators are working.
Next steps
The Roads and Parking Services team is currently tracking another significant winter storm heading toward the Ottawa region.
