Winter Roads 101

No matter what the weather does, you have places to go, and the City of Edmonton works hard to help you get there. The City has a comprehensive roadway maintenance program to help keep traffic moving safely in the winter months.

Read on to learn the basics of the winter road maintenance program, and what you can do to help keep Edmonton mobile.

When will streets be sanded?

Sanding is the City’s first line of defense against slippery, unsafe roads. Streets are sanded as required to provide traction.

When will the main streets be plowed?

Plowing begins on main roads when 3 cm of snow has accumulated and more snow is forecasted. Roads are plowed in this order:

1. Highways;
   
2. Freeways;
   
3. Main arterial roads;
   
4. Bus collector routes.
   

During a major plowing event -- after about 10 cm has accumulated on the ground -- you can check plowing status using the interactive map at edmonton.ca/winterroads.

When are Hazeldean's roads bladed?

Blading of residential roads is initiated once a snowpack of about 5 cm has built up. But, it doesn’t begin until highways, freeways, main arterial roads and bus collector routes have been plowed.

Neighbourhoods are always bladed on the same day of the week, similar to garbage pickup. In Hazeldean, our blading occurs on Wednesdays. If blading isn’t fully completed on our snow day, crews will be back over the weekend to finish up.

When are parking bans in effect?

Parking bans can be called anytime from November 15 to March 15 on roads with “seasonal parking ban” signs. Parking bans help ensure that City equipment can do the best possible job of clearing the roads so emergency and transit vehicles as well as motorists can get where they’re going.

Parking bans are called with a minimum of eight hours notice. Sign up for email notifications when parking bans are declared at edmonton.ca/winterroads, or watch for information on the fronts of ETS buses, in local media, on edmonton.ca, on digital message boards around the city and on social media.

Together, residents and the City of Edmonton help maintain the best possible conditions on our roads and sidewalks all winter long.

Learn more about safe winter travel in Edmonton by visiting edmonton.ca/winterroads.