Snow and ice

When it snows, the City's job is to clear more then 345 lane km of priority one and two roadways. To accomplish this, crews work 24 hours, seven days a week.

How residents can help:

• Clear your sidewalks of snow and ice within 24 hours after a snowfall.
• When clearing sidewalks and driveways, put snow on grass, not on the roadway.
• If a windrow has been left behind after a snowplow has cleared your street, it is the homeowner's responsibility to remove it.
• Clear ice and snow away from the storm gutter or storm drain in front of your home. This will allow the storm drain to perform properly.
• If the storm drain remains submerged in water after 90 minutes, contact Roads at 403.948.8415 or Roads@airdrie.ca

Snow & ice management

The Roads department maintains approximately 700 lane kilometres of roads. Our goal is to provide the highest level of service at the lowest cost. 

In the winter months staff work 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ensure the delivery of service is met in a timely fashion. Before storms, crews may apply anti-icing products to roads to melt the snow which reduces the chance ice will form and bond to the surface.

Crews begin plowing when snow has accumulated to five centimetres and/or drifting has occurred. Winter materials are applied to roads after they are plowed, with emphasis on intersections, corners, hills, school zones, playground zones and other known problem areas. Materials used are environmentally safe and depend on road conditions and temperature.

After higher priority roads have been plowed, crews will begin sanding local roads as needed.

Know your snow! Learn what our road crews do before, during and after a storm to make the roads safe and learn what you can do to help keep our roads and sidewalks in good winter condition.

Roadway priorities

Snow clearing on residential roads

In most cases, residential roads are a priority five so crews will complete a straight blade plow pass to minimize rutting and ensure roads are passable, salt or sand driving lanes (not curb or parking lanes) and pile snow in cul de sacs, bays, landings and coves to maintain passageway, however the following areas of the City require special attention.

School zones:

Routine removal is performed in school zones after a snowfall when accumulations are greater than 10 cm. This mitigates windrows along roadways and improves safety for pedestrians and parent drop off zones.

Areas with historical drainage concerns:

Snow is removed to minimize localized flooding during spring melt. These areas experience poor drainage during spring melt that causes flooding on sidewalks. Removing the snow makes it safer for pedestrians.

Sightline obstructions:

Snow windrows are removed where they cause safety issues for pedestrians and motorists. These areas are evaluated, prioritized and completed on a case-by-case basis.

Emergency:

Other residential areas may receive snow clearing if the Emergency Weather Response plan has been activated. 

Visit airdrie.ca/snowclearing for a map showing where snow clearing will take place or sign up to receive Road notifications at  myAIRDRIE

If your street is scheduled to be cleared, move vehicles off the road to ensure crews can move efficiently and effectively. Schedule may be interrupted in the event of inclement weather or equipment issues. 

Salt management

All snow plows are equipped with GPS automated salt spreading. This technology controls where and how much salt is applied and ensures that ecologically sensitive areas are protected from unnecessary salt application.

Snow smart tips

• Park your vehicles off street if you live on a priority 1 or 2 road. This allows the Roads department to push the snow as far to the curb as possible, creating the greatest width of cleared roadway.
• Shovel snow to the right of your driveway to reduce the amount deposited in front of your driveway by the snow plow.
• Clear adjacent sidewalks of snow and ice within 24 hours after the snow stops falling.
• Chip away at the ice that builds up in the gutter. When the snow begins to melt, it can run to the storm drain and cause a backup of water on to the sidewalk that can refreeze and be dangerous.
• Stay back at least 10m from plow trucks and do not pass the plow truck when it is plowing and/or sanding as material and road debris may damage your car.
• Looking for sand/salt for sidewalks? Pickle mix is available at 15 East Lake Hill. Don't forget your bucket and shovel!  

Click here to for tips for preparing for spring melt. 

Snow & Ice Control Policy

Learn more about how the City sets priorities for streets and determines where to apply winter maintenance material in the Snow & Ice Control Policy.