Let It Snow

From the City's Transportation Services Division:

Let It Snow… Let It Snow… Let It Snow

It’s that time of the year again – winter!

A Canadian winter can sometimes mean a lot of snow, and the City of Toronto is ready!

Here are a few things that you can expect as we gear up for another winter in Toronto.

As soon as the snow begins, Transportation Services sends out its fleet of salt trucks to the expressways, main roads and local roads. If the City receives 2.5 centimeters of snow, the plows go out to the expressways. When we get five centimeters of snow, they start clearing the main roads. Plowing then takes place for the duration of the storm.

When the snow stops and if the snow accumulation reaches eight centimetres, plows will be sent to the local roads. Normally, local road plowing will be completed between 14 and 16 hours after the storm has ended.

The City will clear snow from sidewalks on local roads where it is mechanically possible to do so after eight centimetres (five centimetres in January and February) of snow has fallen. In the central core of the city, property owners are required to clear their sidewalks of snow 12 hours after a storm has taken place.

The City of Toronto’s levels of service for snow clearing meet those set by the Province of Ontario for municipalities and road authorities. These levels of service were adopted by Toronto City Council in 2009.

Residents who have questions about snow clearing efforts in their area can call the City at 311.
If you need more information about the city's plans for snow clearing, visit toronto.ca/transportation.

Here’s an important tip about shoveling snow. Please don’t push snow back onto the road. It’s against the law, hampers snow clearing efforts and is very dangerous for motorists.

Winter, and the snow that comes with it, is a part of what makes us Canadians. By working together, we can make sure that Toronto continues to be a safe and accessible city in which to live, work and play.