Prince George, BC – The City of Prince George has issued a heavy snowfall declaration after more than 30 centimetres of snow fell in the past 24 hours.
Snow clearing will begin in Priority One and Priority Two areas followed by Priority Three starting in the orange zone. With a heavy snowfall declaration in place, the City expects to complete plowing activities by Sunday. If, by the end of the week, your road is unplowed, contact the City with a service request by email or by phoning 3-1-1.
Please note, at this time, driveways will not be open in non-curb and gutter areas.
When Prince George receives accumulated snowfall of 20 centimetres or more in a 24-hour period, the City, in cooperation with the Prince George RCMP, will issue a Heavy Snowfall Declaration. Declarations extend snow clearing completion time for crews by 24 hours when the 20 centimetre threshold is reached. An additional 24 hours is added for every eight centimetres of snow the city receives beyond the initial 20.
During a Heavy Snowfall Declaration, nighttime snow clearing and removal in Downtown Central Business District Priority One and Priority Two areas will start an hour earlier (11 p.m. instead of 12 a.m.).
Residents should avoid non-essential travel. If they must travel, exercise patience, drive to conditions, and take extra time to plan their routes. The RCMP have advised, these conditions exist for emergency workers, as well, and it may take longer for emergency services to get to drivers in the event of an accident. Drivers should bring winter gear and an emergency kit.
During normal operations the order that streets are plowed following a significant snowfall in is determined by a number of factors including traffic volumes. Council's 2019 Snow and Ice Control Policy categorises the City's 735 kilometres of roads and 200 kilometres of sidewalks into three snow-clearing priority routes:
- Priority One routes include the City’s biggest, busiest streets and boulevards, their adjacent sidewalks, and the downtown central business district and hospital district.
- Priority Two routes include Prince George’s collector roads and sidewalks as well as commercial and industrial zoning roads, laneways, and curb-adjacent sidewalks.
- Priority Three routes include the City’s residential streets, sidewalks, and park paths.
For more information about City snow and ice control operations, visit princegeorge.ca/snow. Residents can also view an online video for an overview of these operations.
The City of Prince George thanks residents for following its winter parking restrictions and for driving cautiously when around road crews and equipment.
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Media contact
Mike Lee, senior communications advisor
Mobile: 778-349-1386
Email: media@princegeorge.ca