SNOW WHAT TO DO: CITY & RESIDENTS PREPARE FOR WINTER

A snow storm can happen any day, any time, which is why the City of Saskatoon is ready 24/7 to sand, salt and plow streets as we head into winter. The City’s plan for snow and ice operations this winter builds on last year’s successes, and focusses on providing better winter roads to keep Saskatoon moving during and after a snowfall.

“Last year we introduced some improvements to our operations to increase the effectiveness and efficiencies in the delivery of service, resulting in cost savings and better roads,” says Pat Hyde, Director of Public Works. “This year we will benefit from those improvements, as we apply our continuous improvement model to identify efficiencies for the snow and ice programs.”

Last winter, the City piloted an anti-icing technique called pre-wetting. A sanding truck was modified to spray a magnesium-chloride brine to the salt/sand blend as it was applied to the road surface. The benefits are two-fold: the sand adheres better to the roadway and ice to improve traction, and activates the salt at lower temperatures to melt any ice that has formed. Due to its effectiveness, this program will be expanded from one to four sanders this year.

Also new this year, sanders will be outfitted with GPS software that can track the location of vehicles, sanding activities and the amount of product used in real-time. This data can then be used to create more efficient routes and processes that use less sand and fuel and achieve equivalent or improved results.

“During and immediately after a snow event, plowing and grading will occur on priority streets to keep the high-traffic streets in good driving condition,” says Hyde. “Later in the season, when the overall average snowpack on residential streets reaches a minimum of 15 centimetres, streets may be graded to reduce the potential for ruts forming. Snow grading and removal may occur as required along narrow, congested streets with no space for snow storage.”

ENTER TO WIN!

While City Crews wait for the first snow event of the season, residents are invited to enter our Winter is Coming contest to predict when that day might be. Guess the date of our first snow event (5+ cm of snow) and you could win a $100 City of Saskatoon Leisure Gift Card. Enter at saskatoon.ca/snow.

Snow What to Do this winter by visiting saskatoon.ca/snow. Find real time Snow & Ice and Traffic Detour alerts at saskatoon.ca/service-alerts or follow us on Twitter @YXEServiceAlert.