It’s Friday and we haven’t had a snow-storm-free Friday in a while; let’s enjoy it while we can. Mother Nature provided the city with a total of 27 centimetres of snow Wednesday and Thursday. The task at hand today is cleanup.
Forecast and conditions
Today, we are expecting stable conditions with a flurry or two possible in some areas through the day. Although a chilly day is on tap, temperatures will slowly creep back up to around the freezing mark late tonight and into Saturday morning. Currently, the forecast indicates light snow moving into the region Saturday morning.
Our Response
Last night, teams worked on our sidewalks, priority roads, the winter cycling network and residential streets. There was a lot of snow and it took time to get through it all. In particular, sidewalks in certain locations are taking longer than expected because blowers were required to manage higher accumulations due to the blowing and drifting snow. Throughout the day, those efforts will continue as well as working on addressing problem spots such as bus stops, crosswalks, intersections, pedestrian islands, corners, and cul-de-sacs.
As we head into the weekend, we would like to remind everyone to walk, drive, and cycle with care. With the amount of snow we have received, the snowbanks are high and cold temperatures will create icy conditions. So, please, adjust to the conditions of the transportation network.
Winter Weather Parking Ban Lifted
The Winter Weather Parking Ban was lifted yesterday at 7 pm. Please sign up for the Winter Weather Parking Ban e-alerts to stay up to date on upcoming winter parking restrictions.
You can continue supporting our operations by finding off-street parking options. If you can, please ask a friend or neighbour if you can share their laneway. Remember, streets that remain open helps with clearing – this support makes all the difference in ensuring we can properly open up your neighbourhood streets.
Snowbank Removal Operations Will Resume
In certain areas of the city, snowbank removal operations are expected to resume Saturday night with a focus on minor collector and residential streets within our urban core.
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
We are paying close attention to Sunday’s forecast, with 5 to 10 centimetres of snow expected. Through the weekend, teams will work on removing snowbanks while supervisors will be out monitoring the transportation network. The Roads and Parking Services team will be ready to respond when, and if, conditions change.
