Both the City and County of Peterborough have declared a “significant weather event” in advance of a winter storm forecast to begin Friday night (January 12).
Municipalities can declare a significant weather event under a regulation of the Municipal Act, which allows them to deem municipal roadways as being in a “state of repair” with respect to snow accumulation. The declaration is not a notice of a reduced level of service, but notifies residents that it may take longer than usual to clear the snow.
The winter storm is expected to bring 10 to 20 cm of snow in the City of Peterborough and southern Peterborough County and 15 to 25 cm in northern Peterborough County, with peak snowfall rates of 3 to 5 cm per hour, before turning to rain by Saturday morning.
The snow will be accompanied by strong southeasterly winds gusting up to 70 km/h that, combined with heavy snow, will cause significantly reduced visibility at times. Some areas of Peterborough County may also experience freezing rain conditions as temperatures fluctuate Saturday morning. Following the snow and rain, temperatures will drop to well below freezing by Saturday night, which may create flash-freezing conditions.
“Declaring a significant weather event is a way to advise residents, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists that clearing snow and treating surfaces on roads, sidewalks, and bike lanes can be expected to be delayed compared to typical levels of service, due to the potential severity of the approaching storm,” says City of Peterborough public works manager John Czerniawski in a media release.
According to the release, the city is prepared to deploy its full complement of 18 plow trucks, 11 sidewalk plows, two graders, seven loaders and backhoes, and four light sanding units. Winter abrasives and de-icers are stocked and workers are ready to be deployed.
City public works crews will focus on arterial and collector roads first, followed by residential streets, sidewalks, and trails, as resources and conditions allow. Work will continue until the city’s 978 kilometres of roads, 404 kilometres of sidewalks, 39 kilometres of trails, and 650 bus stops are cleared.
“Thank you to everyone for your patience and cooperation as our crews work through this major winter storm,” says Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal. “My sincere appreciation to the city employees who will be working around the clock in difficult conditions this weekend to keep our roads, sidewalks, and trails safe.”
During a significant weather event, residents are advised to use caution and are reminded that typical winter maintenance service levels for roads may not be met.
Motorists are advised to avoid unnecessary travel and adjust driving based on the conditions. Both road users and pedestrians are asked to leave crews the space they need to safely and effectively clean city streets, sidewalks, and trails.
In the City of Peterborough, winter parking restrictions are in place and parking is prohibited on all city streets from 2 to 6 a.m. overnight. The city is also asking residents not to park on city streets for the duration of the storm to allow for effective snow clearing. During snowstorms, free overnight parking is available in municipal parking garages and surface lots. Drivers can use the parking garage entrance ticket for a free ride home on Peterborough Transit.
