Priority Snow Plan

SNOW Update – Friday, December 20 – 8 a.m.

(36+ hours after snowfall end)

Crews have completed preliminary work on major routes and major community and transit routes. Crews are now focused on other duties within our snow response, including patrolling our residential roadways to ensure smooth condition. Please note, The City does not clear snow from residential areas – we monitor for rutting and plow or apply material as necessary.

As our crews move into the latter stages of The City’s priority snow plan we continue to monitor major routes for freeze and thaw conditions, monitor forecasts and prepare for additional snowfall as necessary.

How can you stay safe during snow events in Calgary?

Motorists are reminded to monitor changing weather conditions – snow covered roads, ice and visibility can be a factor in your commute. Prepare yourself before you head out, leave plenty of time to get to where you need to go and adapt to the changing weather. Stay safe out there!

No matter your mode of travel, prepare for the trip: plan your route, leave plenty of time for travel and ensure you are properly outfitted for the winter weather (bundle up, good footwear).

We encourage you to plan ahead before heading out the door.

Motorists are advised to check The City’s Traffic Cameras and Road Conditions Map.
Transit-users should visit calgarytransit.com for the most up-to-date route information.
People walking and wheeling can refer to The City’s Pathways and Bikeways Map to see which routes are snow cleared.

Snow and Ice Clearing Progress
Route types	Progress (%)
Major Routes 0 - 36hrs

Crews spend the first 36 hours plowing and clearing snow on Calgary’s busiest routes

How The City’s priority-based snow plan works

The priority snow plan is The City's schedule for clearing snow from public spaces. It's approved by City Council and comes into effect once a snowfall ends city-wide. The plan sets out which roads, sidewalks, bikeways, and pathways our crews will clear, to what extent, and on which day within the seven-day plan. See below for the day-by-day priorities.

During snowfall, before the seven-day plan is activated, crews are preparing equipment and materials and working on major routes. The work on majors includes plowing snow in through lanes and applying anti-icing material to Calgary’s highest-traffic routes.

Snow plan priorities

Priority snow plan infographic — Click to enlarge image

Day 1

(0 - 18 hours after snowfall end)

Crews spend the first 18 hours plowing and clearing snow on Calgary’s busiest routes, which include:

Calgary’s busiest major roadways. Roads with over 20,000 vehicle trips per day, such as Crowchild Trail and Macleod Trail. (Please note: Deerfoot Trail and Stoney Trail are maintained by the Province)
Downtown roads and cycle tracks (walking and wheeling lanes)

Additionally, within 24 hours of snowfall end, The City also clears:

Prioritized pathways
Sidewalks bordering City-owned properties
Pedestrian bridges, vehicle bridges, LRT platforms and other public properties with high-volume foot traffic
Approximately 1,300 high-use bus stops

For a map of priority routes, visit the Snow and Ice Control Priority Routes map.

Day 2

(18 - 36 hours after snowfall end)

Crews spend the next 18 hours of our priority plan focused on high-volume community and transit routes. Priorities include plowing driving lanes/through lanes (not curb or parking lanes) and piling it roadside. Priority 2 routes include:

Major Community and Transit routes. Roads with more than 5000 vehicles per day, such as Kensington Road and Acadia Drive
Intersections and crosswalks controlled by traffic lights
Designated emergency routes (e.g. around hospitals and fire stations)
Bus routes
Roads with on-street bike lanes
Trouble spots

Days 3-7

Once crews have completed work on our major routes we shift focus onto other lower volume routes and duties. Work during this stage includes:

Remove barriers of snow and ice at important intersections along major routes
Finishing work on major routes (turn lanes, on/off ramps)
Levelling ruts in residential areas, if needed. Please note, The City does not clear snow from residential streets.
Clearing bus stops and designated feeder/collector routes that connect Priority 2 routes.

Priority pedestrian snow clearing

From the time snowfall ends, The City and our contracted partners focus on several active modes, including:

Within 24 hours:

Clearing snow from sidewalks bordering public property
Clearing snow from 750 kilometres of pathway

Within priority snow plan:

Reducing windrows at busy crosswalks and wheelchair curb ramps for better access

*The City is responsible for clearing approximately 10 per cent of Calgary sidewalks. Private property owners have the critical job of clearing the remaining 90 per cent, within 24 hours of a snowfall ending. Learn more about the bylaw requirements and escalating fines for failing to maintain a public sidewalk bordering your private property.