If you think we’re getting a lot of snow this winter, you’re right. The City of Barrie received 65 cm or just over two feet of snow in January alone. Add that to a snowy December and persistent snowfall this month, and it may feel to some like an especially long winter. Snow removal operations are ongoing and the city is ready for what Mother Nature brings. Snow removal is an essential part of the city’s efforts to keep the streets clear and passable for residents, as well as emergency vehicles.
“We are experiencing a good old fashion winter with lots of snow, and we thank you for your patience as crews do their best to clear roads and sidewalks,” said Dave Friary, Director of Operations. “Using a combination of city staff and contractors, plowing, sanding and salting is performed with consideration to safety, and environmental concerns. We know it can be challenging to get around with the amount of snow the city is receiving, and we want to help keep people moving safely.”
Snow by numbers:
- The city averages approximately 286 centimeters (112.6 inches) of snow annually.
- Snow removal to date this winter in the BIA amounts to around 10,000 cubic meters of snow or 500 triaxle loads.
- The city has received almost double the amount of snow this January compared to 36 cm last January and 33 cm in 2023.
The lake effect snow machine could add to those totals.
Environment Canada has issued a snow squall watch for Barrie that also covers Collingwood and northern Simcoe County as well as parts of Muskoka.
Forecasters say squalls will fire up early Friday morning and last into the afternoon. Snowfall totals will range between 10 and 20 cm, with poor visibility in blowing and drifting snow. Conditions are expected to improve Friday evening.
Here are some winter maintenance reminders in the City of Barrie:
The priority is the main roads–those with the most traffic in the city. These roads are serviced when at least five cm of snow has fallen. The secondary (residential) routes are plowed when there is at least eight cm of snow. The goal is to have most routes plowed 12–24 hours after the end of a snow event. With Barrie's Plow Tracker, you can track the progress of the road plows and see when your street was last serviced. A reminder—plows can’t avoid leaving snow at the bottom of driveways because they can’t lift the blades in between driveways.
Sidewalk plowing
Sidewalk plowing is done on main sidewalks when five cm of snow falls and on residential sidewalks when there’s eight cm of snow. If you see a sidewalk plow driving on the road, there’s a good reason—they’re travelling to their next destination for plowing because it’s faster than travelling on the sidewalk. Winter road and sidewalk maintenance updates are posted daily at barrie.ca/snow.
Parking restrictions
A reminder that on-street parking is not permitted on City streets from 12:01–7 a.m. and 3–6 a.m. within the Downtown Business Improvement Area, from December 1 through March 31. This ensures that the streets can be completely cleared and that large emergency vehicles can get down the street.
Waste collection
Shovel out a small area at the bottom of your driveway for your garbage, recycling boxes and green bin, as far from the road as possible without blocking the sidewalk. Do not place them on top of the snowbank.
For more information and updates about winter maintenance, visit barrie.ca/snow.
More about Barrie's snow clearing efforts on the Barrie 360 podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0CODsxDXdS1YnEUxHCLTy5
with files from Barrie 360
