Winter Road Maintenance

Snowfall

When it snows, City plows keep Circle Drive and priority street driving lanes clear.

 What you can expect from us

• De-icing and grading occurs on high-traffic streets, beginning with Priority 1 streets (Circle Drive).
• As Priority Streets are graded, snow is stored in the median or along parking lanes.
• River Landing, bus malls and bike lanes are cleared overnight following priority street grading.
• Snow removal occurs in business improvement districts following priority street grading.
• Snow removal of stored snow (windrows) along Priority 2 and 3 streets will occur periodically to improve visibility for road users.

Snow Events

A Snow Event may be called when there is a combination of 5 cm or more of accumulated snow along with reduced temperatures, high winds, and drifting snow. Under these conditions snow grading is initiated.

 What you can expect from us

• Extra city crews and outside contractors help out during and following a snow event for a quicker response.
• De-icing and grading occurs based on the following Priority Street System:
  • Priority 1: Highest traffic streets - will be plowed within 12 hours after a snowstorm ends.
  • Priority 2: Rapid transit bus routes and busy streets - will be graded within 36 hours.
  • Priority 3: Main streets, school zones and residential pathways - will be graded within 72 hours
• If another snowfall or blowing snow occurs within the 72-hour timeframe, crews may be required to return to Priority 1 streets, causing clearing to take longer.
• Our snow grading map shows the status of cleared streets after a snow event.

Open Snow Event Grading Map

City-wide Snow Grading to Prevent Rutting

 How you can help us

• City-wide neighbourhood grading will occur when the average snowpack reaches 15 centimetres (6 inches), to prevent the development of extreme ruts.
• Grading will occur later in the season to reduce the time that snow piles, known as windrows, adversely affect parking. 
• The City will post Yellow No Parking signs to notify drivers in advance of grading. Remove your vehicle to avoid getting ticketed or towed. 

The City may declare a Snow Route Parking Ban if the snowfall is extreme. Streets identified on a Snow Route are priority roadways for snow grading because they ease the flow of traffic throughout our city.

There are two snow routes, the Green Circle Snow Route and the Blue Square Snow Route. The routes are marked with permanent No Parking Snow Route signs, with a metal plate indicating if it is a green or blue route. The Green Circle Snow Route Parking Ban will always be declared first. 

Open Snow Routes Map

 What you can expect from us

• Snow Route declarations will be made at either 7:00 a.m. or 3:00 p.m.
• You will have a minimum of 8 hours notice to move your vehicle before the parking ban takes effect.
• Parking bans are in effect for 24 hours.

 How you can help us

• Please remove your vehicle to avoid getting a $100 ticket or towed.

Sign up for Snow Route Parking Ban Alerts

Receive direct communication from the City when a Snow Route Parking Ban is declared by signing up to the City’s emergency mass alert system.

Sign Up For notifynow

The City of Saskatoon oversees winter sidewalk maintenance activities in accordance with the Sidewalk Clearing Bylaw.

 What you can expect from us

• Sidewalks adjacent to City-owned facilities, pedestrian overpasses, bridge walkways and high-pedestrian downtown streetscaping locations are cleared after a snow event.
• Asphalt park pathways with street lighting are cleared of snow within 48 hours after a snowstorm ends.
• The City looks into all uncleared sidewalk reports. If necessary, the Bylaw Inspector will investigate and issue a Bylaw Notice requiring you to clear it within 48 hours.
• If your sidewalk is not cleared, and the City has to clear the sidewalk, the cost will be charged to your property tax notice.

 How you can help us

• Please clear your sidewalks within 48 hours after a snowfall, and place snow on your property, not onto the street.
• Businesses need to clear their sidewalks within 24 hours after a snowfall. Designated merchants within Business Improvement Districts with no space to store snow may push snow into the parking lane within 24 hours of the end of the storm.
• Please make sure your cleared sidewalk is no more than 3 centimetres thick and at least 1.2 metres wide. View the Sidewalk Snow Clearing Guidelines.
• If you cannot clear your own sidewalk of snow, consider asking younger family members or your neighbours for help, or contact a snow clearing service.
• To report an uncleared sidewalk, please contact the City Bylaw Inspector at  306-975-3193.

Be nice, clear your neighbours snow and ice.

 How you can help us

• If your neighbour is elderly, has health concerns or mobility restrictions, lend a hand by clearing their sidewalk.
• If you receive help from a neighbour/relative, nominate them as a Snow Angel online or mail in their name and phone number to:

    Snow Angel, City of Saskatoon
    330 Ontario Avenue
    Saskatoon SK S7K 1S3

• Tell us how your Snow Angel has brightened your day.
• Exercise caution when clearing sidewalks.

We will send your Snow Angel a thank you and enter them in a prize draw!

Schools

Snow is removed periodically from designated school zone areas to increase visibility of students during pick-up and drop-off.

Before the snow is removed, it is stored in snow piles, known as windrows. The windrows can present hazards if a student attempts to climb on them.

 What you can expect from us

• Windrows are removed if they exceed a height of 60 centimetres.
• Windrows will be removed outside of school hours.

Business Districts

 What you can expect from us

• Once priority roads are graded following a snow event, snow removal will occur on the remaining Business Improvement District streets.

When warm weather arrives, the snow and ice can melt quickly. 

 What you can expect from us

• City crews will clear and remove snow from Saskatoon streets this winter to reduce snow melt when the weather warms up.
• Graded snow will be stored in windrows to slow down snow melt and reduce flooding around catch basins.
• City crews will begin defrosting catch basins on warm days and clear gutters to improve drainage.
• Important intersections that may experience flooding in a fast melt are surveyed and monitored.

If the snow melts quickly, your home may be at risk of flooding, even if you haven’t flooded before. 

 How you can help us

• Watch our   video on Snowmelt and find more tips to help reduce your risk of a snowmelt flood in your home.

The City will operate three snow storage sites this winter where haulers can unload snow from public and private property.

• The Civic Operations Centre* is open 24/7, located on Valley Road, west of the Saskatoon Landfill access
  *To reduce the noise impact to adjacent residents, a no-tailgate slamming policy will be monitored and enforced at this location.
• The following snow storage sites are closed for the season:
  • Northwest - Wanuskewin Road (1.4 km south of Highway 11) 
  • Northeast - Central Avenue (3.8 km north of Attridge Drive)

Open Snow Storage Site Map

 How you can help us

• Respect “no-tailgate slamming” policy in place at the Civic Operations Centre Valley Road facility.
• Obey posted site requirements for your safety and the safety of other site users and workers.
• Report illegal snow or waste dumping at these sites and other City property to our 24-hour customer service centre at csc@saskatoon.ca or 306-975-2476.  
• Refer to the interactive map for snow storage site locations.