City of West Kelowna

On Snow Days, Please Help Crews Clear the Way

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 19, 2019

Residents need to park off street over the next two to three days, please, to help road crews deal with the heavy snowfall expected over the pre-Christmas weekend. Environment Canada is forecasting snowfall of 10 centimeters in West Kelowna into Friday morning, December 20, followed by periods of rain or snow throughout the weekend, and plows may be unable to clear residential streets cluttered with cars.

During heavy snowfall, crews must focus first on arterial roads, collector streets and bus routes before moving on to lower priority streets. It may take several hours after the snow stops falling before crews clear lower priority streets. If 48 hours after snow has stopped, crews have not been to your street, please contact us. Call 778-797-2225 during office hours 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, excluding holidays. City offices are closed for the holidays from 1 p.m. December 24 through 7:30 a.m. January 2. Afterhours, please call AEL at 1-866-353-3136.

Residents, please help crews clear the way by:

Parking off street for up to 48 hours after the snowfall ends.
- On street parking makes plowing difficult and sometimes impossible. Incidents have occurred where plows could not pass parked cars to clear streets.
Not shovelling snow from driveways and sidewalks back onto the street.
- This will affect plow drivers’ work. Please, pile snow on your property and keep storm drains and hydrants as clear as possible.
Shoveling snow to the left (when facing your property) so that plows drag less snow across your accesses.
- Sorry, as passing plows direct snow to the right, they inevitably leave windrows.
Removing snow and ice from sidewalks and walkways bordering your property.
- The city removes snow and ice from select sidewalks adjacent to civic buildings, parks and pedestrian accesses.

For snow and ice control on on Highway 97, 97C and Westside Road call AIM at 1-866-222-4204. For WR Bennett Bridge, call Protrans at 1-888-769-2925. If you live in a strata, check with your board or management company as to whom your contractor is.

Motorists, please drive according to road conditions by slowing down, gearing down and leaving plenty of extra braking distance.