Snow Clearing News and Notices

Weather conditions trigger the following services:

• 0-5 cm of snow/ice – Salting of roads; salting and plowing of sidewalks as required
• 5+ cm of snow in forecast – Winter Event declared and on-street parking is prohibited
• 5+ cm of snow accumulated - Plowing of roads, sidewalks and windrows
• 10+ cm of snow – Significant Weather Event may be declared; operations may take longer than usual

Staff work hard to clear roads, sidewalks and windrows as quickly and efficiently as possible. Once the snow stops, we aim to clear the snow in 14 hours for sidewalks, 16 hours for roads, 12 hours for windrows and 24 hours for wide bends, dead ends and cul-de-sacs. Times may vary due to snowfall amounts, length of storm, time of day (e.g. rush hour), etc.

Primary roads and sidewalks are plowed and salted first, followed by secondary roads and sidewalks. Snow windrow clearing starts two hours after road plows begin their routes.

Please wait 16 hours after the snow has stopped falling before contacting Access Richmond Hill with service requests.

• Keep roads and sidewalks clear of parked cars when it’s snowing and before snow is expected, so plows and emergency vehicles can get through or you could be ticketed and/or towed. Winter maintenance operations start before it snows
• Make sure to park in a way that does not block the sidewalk. Vehicles that overhang sidewalks make it difficult for plows to pass through safely
  and may cause delays in sidewalk clearing
• Do not place anything within one metre of a road, curb or sidewalk that can become hidden and cause issues for plow operators (e.g. basketball nets, landscaping features, etc.)
• Do not park near the bottom of your driveway
• On your waste collection day, place waste bins away from the curb on the right side of your driveway (when facing the house), so we can clear the snow windrow
• Do not shovel snow back onto the road or sidewalk
• Driving near a snow plow? Keep a safe distance. Blowing snow and blind spots can obscure a driver’s vision, making it harder to see smaller vehicles
• Be a Hydrant Hero by clearing one metre of snow from around fire hydrants near your property to make them accessible in case of an emergency

In addition, there is no parking on any street between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. from December 1 to March 31.

For more information, visit the Parking page.

Temporary Parking Permits

When a 'Winter Event' is declared, temporary on-street parking permits are not valid for on-street parking. During this time, you can park at select City-owned facilities if you cannot arrange alternative off-street parking. Please ensure that the temporary parking permit is displayed clearly on your vehicle’s dash. A list of select City-owned facilities can be found at RichmondHill.ca/ParkingPermits.  

A 'Significant Weather Event' may be declared when an approaching or occurring extreme weather hazard has the potential to pose danger to users of roadways and sidewalks. Extreme weather conditions include freezing rain, significant snowfall, strong winds, blowing snow and reduced visibility. As a result, it may take longer than normal to complete winter maintenance activities.