Are the leaves raked, winter tires on, outdoor holiday decorations up yet? It’s time Ottawa! It looks like Mother Nature is bringing a winter storm this afternoon that will blanket our region.
Forecast and conditions
Environment Canada has issued a Weather Advisory for the Ottawa region this afternoon and into Wednesday morning for an upcoming snowfall with a risk of freezing rain. Snow may be mixed with freezing rain and ice pellets this afternoon and evening. The temperature is expected to rise above zero overnight when precipitation will transition to rain. Local snow accumulation and ice pellet amount of 5 to 10 centimetres is possible. At this time, staff have decided not to call a Winter Weather Parking Ban for this event.
With peak snowfall rates of 2 centimetres per hour, the intensity of this storm will impact the evening commute as snow accumulates on sidewalks, roads and the winter cycling network. Surfaces such as highways, roads, sidewalks and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow and may quickly become icy and slippery. Residents are reminded to exercise caution while using all of our transportation networks.
Our response
The Roads and Parking Services team is ready! Once accumulation starts, crews will be working on clearing and treating sidewalks, priority roads and our winter cycling network in accordance with the Council-approved Maintenance Quality Standards. Following the completion of our priority network, our operations will be carried out based on the level of accumulation that the City will have received.
We are asking for patience as operations may take longer than normal as staff continue to get used to their newly assigned routes and the variable weather conditions.
Resident Support is Needed
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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 this event.
