The Eras Tour wrapped up in Ontario Saturday night, and the Swifties are all nestled back at home with new friendship bracelets around their wrists and memories of a lifetime dancing in their heads. The timing couldn’t be better as Mother Nature is starting her 2024/2025 Winter Eras Tour (Ottawa’s version). Are you ready for it? The Roads and Parking Services team is! Let the winter season begin!
Forecast and conditions
Environment Canada has issued a Freezing Rain Warning for the Ottawa region. With the temperature forecasted to hover around zero degrees overnight and into Tuesday morning, rain mixed with freezing rain is possible during the early morning hours. Given the ground and road surface temperatures are still relatively warm, ice accretion is expected to be variable across the region. Precipitation is expected to transition to rain during the morning and end early Tuesday afternoon as temperatures rise above zero.
The freezing rain may impact the Tuesday morning commute. Residents are reminded to exercise caution while using all of our transportation networks.
Our response
This is the first winter event of the season, it definitely won’t be the last, but crews are ready to respond. The Roads and Parking Services team has been preparing equipment and filling the salt domes. When the freezing rain begins, crews will be working on treating sidewalks, roads and our winter cycling network. This is our first deployment of equipment this season, and we are asking for your patience as operations may take longer than normal as staff get used to their newly assigned routes and as we adjust to the variable weather conditions.
Chief William Commanda Bridge
At this time, the Chief William Commanda Bridge will remain open. The Roads and Parking Services team will be monitoring the bridge closely, and if conditions become hazardous, it will be closed for the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. If the bridge is to be temporarily closed for safety reasons, Council and the public will be informed.
Reminder on what to expect this winter
As we embark on this winter season, it’s a good time to remind you that Roads and Parking Services works very closely with our partners across the corporation to ensure our response to winter weather events meets the needs of our residents, businesses and visitors. My team and I regularly monitor the weather to determine how and when we respond to winter events based on the forecast and conditions of each incoming storm. Our response is driven by the Maintenance Quality Standards (MQS) which defines the desirable level of service, or the standard to which a sidewalk or road gets maintained.
- Need help clearing your driveway and/or walkway during the winter? For information on City’s Snow Go and Snow Go Assist Programs visit Help around the home on Ottawa.ca.
- If you are able, please clear your local catch basin from leaves and debris to allow as much water as possible to drain from the road.
Next steps
The Roads and Parking Services team will continue to monitor the weather over the next 36 hours and adjust our response accordingly.
We are committed to making Ottawa’s transportation network safe and passable for all users while keeping you updated throughout the winter months.
