Niagara Falls is ready for potentially huge snow storm hitting the city
Published November 17, 2022 at 2:31 pm
With Environment Canada saying the Niagara Falls, Welland and Southern Niagara Region area could face “prolonged period of significant lake effect snow squalls off of Lake Erie tonight through this weekend,” Niagara Falls is getting its Snow Army ready.
“As a snow event draws near, City of Niagara Falls staff maintains arterial and collector roads, hills, and mist-affected areas near the Falls to prevent ice. Plowing of arterial and collector roads begins as snow accumulates,” said the city.
As for their 23 snow plows, “When snow depth reaches 8 centimetres, plowing operations commence on all municipal roadways, including residential streets and cul-de-sacs.”
Sounds like they’ll get a work-out as Environment Canada said, “Local snowfall accumulations of 30 to 60 cm by Sunday morning. Higher amounts are possible in the most persistent snow squalls. Visibilities may be reduced to near zero in heavy snow and local blowing snow.”
Niagara Falls says it maintains 592 kilometres of roads and 218 kilometres of sidewalks and trails during winter. The following staff and equipment work 24/7 in response to forecasted snowfalls and storms:
- Over 50 personnel
- 23 snowplows
- 6 sidewalk plows
- 5 front-end loaders
One of the biggest questions asked by residents when the first major snowfall hits is: which roads get priority? Many feel abandoned watching other roads plowed while theirs remains snowed in.
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The quick answer is roads are prioritized. Larger roads than carry bigger traffic-loads are done first. However, the city has created a “classification levels” chart of all streets in the city. Simply plug a valid street address into the CLASSIFICATION CHART to see where your road is prioritized.
The City would like to remind residents that they can support winter storm response efforts by:
- Clearing snow and ice from sidewalks as soon as possible after a snowfall to ensure that they are safe for all residents. Lend a hand to those who may not be physically able to shovel.
- Refraining from parking on the street during a snowstorm while snow-clearing operations are underway. Parked cars make plowing difficult and sometimes impossible.
- Keeping a safe distance from plow trucks to allow them to work safely.
- Postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways, and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow. If travel is necessary, check weather conditions, plan additional time and exercise caution.