With as much as 15 centimetres of snow forecast to fall this week, the City of Kelowna says they are prepared for the next snowfall.
But they are also asking residents to get prepared as well to help ensure that snow is cleared quickly and effectively by moving vehicles off the road ahead of time.
Related: Wintry weather to move into Okanagan
“Residents are asked to be patient as crews will focus on maintaining the service levels of priority one and two routes when significant snow falls before attending to local roads in neighbourhoods,” said Stephen Bryans, roadway operations supervisor. “Residents are encouraged to move their vehicles off the road to help plows clear the snow from curb to curb safely and quickly.”
The city clears snow and de-ices municipal roads based on their priority status. Priority one includes high-traffic roads such as Gordon Drive. Priority two includes collector roads such as Richter Street, bus routes, school zones, town centers and emergency vehicle stations. Priority three includes local roads within neighbourhoods. Highway 97 (Harvey Avenue) and Highway 33 are maintained by the Provincial Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
So far, the city has not put into effect a snow event advisory..
In the case of a snow event advisory, a temporary parking ban will come into effect in snow routes areas including Wilden, the Ponds, Magic Estates and Dilworth Mountain. For more information on snow routes and to check if a snow event advisory is in effect at any given time, visit kelowna.ca/transportation.
Residents and business owners are reminded that they are responsible for clearing the snow off sidewalks adjacent to their property. Some residents find snow clearing a difficult task, particularly seniors and those with an injury or disability.
The city encourages residents to help out their neighbours by becoming a Snow Buster.
Nominations can be made online and each month, the name of one nominated snow buster will be drawn to win a pair of tickets to see the Kelowna Rockets.
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