Snow & Ice

The City of Penticton has a prioritized snow removal program.

Priority 1 Routes

• Major collectors: main routes serving as connectors/collectors between areas and routes
• Steep grades: hilly terrain with high traffic volumes
• Roads serving emergency routes to hospitals and fire equipment
• Major transit routes: serving the majority of transit users

Priority 2 Routes

• Collector roads (remainder of)
• School zones: serving as routes to access school
• Main industrial routes
• Minor transit routes

Priority 3 Routes

• The remainder of the routes in the City, typically local roads

Please note it takes us approximately 48 hours to reach the residential streets and cul-de-sacs from the time it stops snowing. If snow falls again within that time, crews must return to streets with higher priority.

Click the buttons below to download/view the PDF maps of each of the priority areas. 

Snow Removal - Roadway Priority Routes

Snow Removal - Stairways, Sidewalks, Bridges, Bus Stops, Parking Lots & Protected Bike Lanes

Snow Removal - Anti-Icing Priorities

Here are ways residents can help to keep our City moving and safe during a snow event.

• Stay home if you don’t have to travel. More cars on the road increase the risk of accidents and interference with crews.
• Approach or pass snow clearing vehicles with care and consideration. Large work vehicles can sometimes make unexpected turns or stops.
• Remove cars off of the street so plows can work more efficiently and clear the entire roadway. It also reduces potential vehicle damage and provides faster clean-up.
• Do your best to clear all sidewalks adjacent to your property before 11 am the following day after the snow event, in accordance with the Good Neighbour Bylaw.
• Remember when shovelling your driveway to pile the snow on the left side of the driveway (facing the property), and where possible shovel the snow to the property rather than the roadway so when plows go by, they won’t drag the shovelled piles back into your driveway entrance.
• Clear the snow away from fire hydrants for easy access by firefighters if needed. Chains are on the wheels of our fire trucks to ensure they can get to emergencies.

• Be a snow angel and help your neighbours who need assistance. 

• Clear any catch basins on your street to allow the water to flow. Not only will this reduce flooding but it will get the water off the streets to reduce icy patches when temperatures drop.

• Worried about garbage collection? Place your carts out at their designated collection point by 7 am on your regularly scheduled garbage day. Garbage collection may be limited in laneways and side streets that trucks cannot safely access. If your garbage is not collected due to the recent snowfall, residents can place an extra bag of garbage alongside their carts on their next collection day.

We have our full fleet of snow equipment in operation. 

City equipment available

•  5 large snowplow trucks 
• 4 rapid response snowplow trucks 
• 1 loader 
• 2 anti-icing equipped trucks 
• 2 backhoes 
• 3 mowers with snow attachments 
• 1 municipal tractor (for clearing walking paths and bike lanes)
• 1 ATV with blade 

Taking our recycling and garbage carts to the curb each week helps keep Penticton tidy and safe. But come winter, having those carts emptied often requires some extra care and attention. By remembering the following three tips, you’ll ensure your recycling and garbage is always ready for pick up… sun or snow!

Carts not picked up? Please contact Waste Connections of Canada directly at 250-490-3888 or email csr-penticton-osoyoos@wasteconnections.com 

City Council approved the 2022/2023 Snow and Ice Control Policy on Dec. 20, 2022. This policy sets service levels and standards, and is updated on an annual basis to add new infrastructure including roads and lanes, protected bike lanes and transit shelters. This document will be uploaded to this page soon. 

Maps

Roadway Priority Routes

Snow Removal - Stairways, Sidewalks, Bridges, Bus Stops, Parking Lots & Protected Bike Lanes

Snow Removal - Anti-Icing Priorities

Although not all of our staff work on snow and ice control tasks, we are well equipped and have cross trained our staff as required to ensure we have enough operators and labourers to provide the snow and ice control with the following:

•  5 large snowplow trucks 
• 4 rapid response snowplow trucks 
• 1 loader 
• 2 anti-icing equipped trucks 
• 2 backhoes 
• 3 mowers with snow attachments 
• 1 municipal tractor (for clearing walking paths and bike lanes)
• 1 ATV with blade 

The need to clear the bike lanes has not resulted in any delays with the road snow and ice control. The equipment and the operators that are used to clear the Lake-to-Lake Bike Route are not used on roadways.

The City’s Parks staff use their municipal tractor to clear park walkways, sidewalks and the bike routes, which isn’t suitable for roadwork. 

In fact, this equipment used to clear the bike lanes has resulted in a higher level of service and less machine time on the 25 km of walkways and various sidewalks as compared to the previous method of clearing the snow.

• The City uses salt, a salt/sand mix and straight sand to ensure the roads are safe for winter driving.
• Salt is used throughout the core of the City because it’s fast acting and extremely effective in our weather conditions.
• Salt/sand mix is used in the higher elevations and agricultural areas. This is more effective in areas that have more snow and cooler temperatures.

• The City sprays a salt/water solution on high-priority streets  and parking lots in advance of and during a snowstorm. This helps prevent snow and ice from bonding to the road surface resulting in improved traction and effective removal.
• The anti-icing program is a proactive approach used to improve road safety at the start of a winter storm. Shortly after the liquid solution is applied, the water evaporates, leaving the salt residue in place, where it is needed – rather than applying rock salt, which tends to bounce and roll to the gutters, becoming completely ineffective as an anti-icing agent.
• Another benefit of the program is to reduce black ice conditions. Salt/water solution is an effective tool when temperatures are above -10 Celsius. The product can be applied during regular working hours and will remain effective until it is washed away. This results in a reduction of snow removal crew overtime costs.

The Public Works Department spends an average of $507,000 annually (based on 2019-2022) on snow and ice control on roads, sidewalks and related infrastructure, as outlined in the policy. The 2023 budget request is currently estimated at $510,000, which will be part of the 2023 budget discussion process.

When you consider the large number of driveways in the City, it becomes  costly and time-consuming to use additional people and equipment to provide this service.

Remember when shovelling your driveway to always pile the snow on the left side of the driveway (facing the property). This will give you a better line of vision of the approaching traffic and when our plows go by, we won’t drag your shovelled piles back into your driveway entrance.

Following a storm, the City’s first goal is to clear priority 1 routes to ensure traffic can safely travel. This includes major bus routes. Once this is accomplished, crews move on to priority 2 routes, including minor bus routes, as well as shovelling and clearing the roughly 40 transit stops with shelters located throughout the city. 

For the hundreds of additional transit stops located throughout the city that do not have shelters, it is up to the adjacent resident or business to clear the sidewalk by 11 a.m. following a weather event, as specified in the Good Neighbour Bylaw. 

Once priority 1 and 2 roads, sidewalks and parking lots are cleared, City crews focus additional attention to clearing snow from bus stop pull-in lanes.

Yes, the City does tow vehicles from time to time. This is done to ensure routes are clear for emergency and vehicular traffic. Residents who leave or abandon their vehicles during snowstorms and obstruct traffic flow can expect their vehicles to be towed without warning.

To find out if your vehicle has been removed by the City, contact the City’s towing contractor at 250–493-1991.  If your vehicle is not located contact the RCMP at 250-492-4300.

Taking our recycling and garbage carts to the curb each week helps keep Penticton tidy and safe. But come winter, having those carts emptied often requires some extra care and attention. By remembering the following three tips, you’ll ensure your recycling and garbage is always ready for pick up… sun or snow!

Carts not picked up? Please contact Waste Connections of Canada directly at 250-490-3888 or email csr-penticton-osoyoos@wasteconnections.com 

AIM Roads is responsible for highway maintenance throughout B.C. The company also provides highway condition reporting information to DriveBC three times a day. View this link for a presentation about their services and procedures. 

Did you know ? 

• When you travel from Kelowna to Penticton during a snow event if you slow from 110 km to 90 km it will only add six minutes to your travel time.
• AIMRoads workforce nearly doubles in the winter months from 65 full time employees to +/- 120 employees.
• Over 30,000 m3 of winter sand is used and over 6000 m3 of salt.

Please submit your concerns or suggestions through our Report an Issue online form. Your submission will be directed to the appropriate contact within the City of Penticton, and all requests will be addressed.

For urgent requests, contact:

Public Works
Phone: 250-490-2500
Email: publicworks@penticton.ca

As part of the Good Neighbour Bylaw, residents are required to remove snow and ice from adjacent sidewalks before 11 a.m. following a weather event.

Read more in our Snow and Ice Removal handout. 

Please submit your concerns or suggestions through our Report an Issue online form. Your submission will be directed to the appropriate contact within the City of Penticton, and all requests will be addressed.

For urgent requests, contact:

Public Works
Phone: 250-490-2500
Email: publicworks@penticton.ca