Kelowna Plows are Ready for the First Snow Fall

Kelowna residents are eagerly awaiting the first snowfall of the year but when the white stuff does fall it means plows will be out in neighbourhoods around the city.

Sanding and plowing priorities are based on volumes of traffic and the City of Kelowna has the community divided into four priority areas. The first roads to be plowed will be heavily used arterials such as Gordon Drive, Springfield Road and Lakeshore Road. Once the first snowfall hits these roads will be sanded within four hours. If it is a major snow storm these areas will be plowed within 12 to 48 hours.

Priority two roads are collectors, steep hills, sharp curves, school zones and transit routes. Roads such as Richter Street, Ethel and the Black Mountain area are considered priority two areas. These will be sanded and plowed within 36 to 72 hours of the completion of a snow storm or a major storm. Priority three roads are all residential streets that are flat or have a slight grade. These city roads will be sanded within 24 to 48 hours of a snow storm and plowing is accomplished using the underbody plows on the sand trucks.

Finally priority four roads are all other residential laneways and those will be sanded during working hours. The City’s budget for snow and ice removal is $1.4 million and on average there are 30 snow and ice events in Kelowna every year.