Significant Weather Event in Hamilton as storm nears

The City of Hamilton declared a Significant Weather Event at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, which suspends the standard timelines required for municipalities to objectives for clearing streets, roads, and sidwalks.

A ‘Texas low’ storm system is expected to bring a significant amount of snow, in the 15 to 25 cm range, in combination with high winds. A communiqué indicated that the city expects its capacity to respond to bad weather will be stretched by the storm.

“All roadways and City maintained sidewalks are deemed in a state of repair with respect to snow accumulation and/or ice conditions, until the municipality declares the Significant Weather Event has ended,” the city states. “While City road crews are prepared to respond to the ongoing weather event, the City expects that target completion times for snow removal along roads, sidewalks, multi-use paths and cycling lanes will span beyond its typical target completion time due to the significant storm overnight.”

Arenas in the city are closing at 7 p.m. on Friday night, with the plan for ice pads to reopen at 9:30 or 10 a.m. on Saturday (depending on regular scheduling). Some other facilities may also close early.

“Residents are reminded that a declared Significant Weather Event does not automatically mean all City facilities are closed or programs are cancelled. During this snow event, the City will continue to share details regarding snow clearing progress, changes to service levels, transit delays, cancellations, etc., on a regular basis via the Inclement Weather Alert page on hamilton.ca.”

Here is some of the other impacts from the storm, as described by the city.

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Snow clearing

• Road-clearing workers will be responding to the escarpments, Class 1 and 2 Roads, and cycling lanes once snowfall begins.
  Sidewalk clearing equipment is expected to be deployed around 4:30 or 5 a.m. on Saturday morning
• The City currently has activated its full complement of equipment for plowing and salting. The City’s Plow Tracker is intended to show where our maintenance vehicles have been in the last two, four, 12, and 24 hours.
• A city bylaw (No. 03-296) requires property owners and/or occupants to clear snow and ice within 24 hours after the end of a snow event from the sidewalks adjacent to their property as well as roofs that overhang the city sidewalk. In the case of a Significant Weather Event declaration, property owners and/or occupants have within 24 hours after it is declared over to clear their property.

Parking

• Residents are asked “as best as possible” to keep vehicles off the road during and immediately following a snowfall to allow plows and emergency vehicles to get through more easily.
• City and contract crews are working to remove snow from all municipal car parks. Due to the large volume of snow, lot clearing will be delayed and the process will continue over the next 24 to 48 hours. The city says, “Parked vehicles may be temporarily blocked in while crews work through current conditions.”

Under the Ontario Municipal Act, a municipality may declare a Significant Weather Event when a weather hazard, either forecasted or occurring, has the potential to pose significant impacts to road users on roads maintained by the City of Hamilton.