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Snow season is here!

Learn what you can do to help.

  • REMOVE PARKED VEHICLES from roads as soon as possible after a snowfall. Note that trailers should never be parked unattached on roadsides.
  • CLEAR SIDEWALKS within 24 hours, as defined in the Good Neighbour Bylaw 2387.
  • SHOVEL SNOW ONTO YOUR PROPERTY, preferably onto permeable land like grass.  Do not deposit snow onto the roadway.
  • CLEAR WIDROWS. It is the responsibility of residents to clear the lines left over from snowplows in front of their own driveways.
  • HELP YOUR NEIGHBOURS who are elderly, disabled or are otherwise not able to clear their sidewalks.
  • DON’T INTERRUPT PLOW OPERATORS. They cannot accommodate personal requests.
  • BE PATIENT. The City has a limited budget for snow clearing. Priority will be given to business areas, bus routes, hillsides, schools and the hospital to make them passable, but not necessarily completely clear of snow on the initial pass. Residential roads and more thorough snow clearing are secondary priorities.
  • WAIT 36 hours after a snowfall before submitting a service request to Public Works: 250.378.4224 (press 3) or visit www.merritt.ca/report-a-problem.

City Snow Removal Program

The City of Merritt has designed its snow-clearing program around the specific climatic conditions that we tend to experience in the Nicola Valley. According to Environment Canada Historical Climate Normals (1981-2010), Merritt saw an average annual snowfall of 66.7cm (26.25 inches). During that period, the average snow depth for November was 1cm, December 5cm, January 5cm and February 2cm, with all other months at 0cm, effectively demonstrating that the city does not see significant snow accumulation as it tends to melt.

APPROACH

As significant snow accumulation is rare, the City’s snow removal efforts tend to be more geared towards management of ice over the bulk of the winter season. When it does snow, the snow is simply plowed to the side of the road as snow removal is not necessary as it typically melts. In most areas, when temperatures get very cold, the snow is generally plowed, graded, and sanded. A brine or a sand/salt mix is used in specified areas and is weather forecast dependent. Snow removal is not specified except for the downtown area and only when there is no forecast of potential melting.

For snowfall between 5cm – 20 cm (2 – 8 inches), snow removal is forecast to occur within 8 or 30 hours, depending on the priority zone. For snowfall under 5cm (2 inches), no timeframe is defined.  Similarly, for aberrant snow accumulations greater than 20 cm (8 inches), no timeframe is indicated and the priority will shift towards making streets passable. Ongoing snow accumulations may affect this timeline.

PRIORITIES & MAP

Generally speaking, snow and ice management priorities are the main arterial routes like Voght Street, the hillsides in the Bench area, intersections, corners, Bus Routes, Schools, Airport, Downtown, and Civic Facilities like the pool, followed by secondary residential routes. Removal of snow in secondary laneways, sideroads and parking areas are one the the last areas to be addressed. Detailed snow and ice management priorities are publicly available on our GIS Mapping Tool:  merritt.ca/maps

IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SNOW REMOVAL PROGRAM

The City has made improvements to its snow removal program over recent years. In fall 2023, the City added a second multi-use sidewalk machine which should improve our efforts on pathways, sidewalks and parking lots.

Other recent amendments included moving the sand supply to the Public Works yard to improve response times from 45 minutes to 5 minutes.  The City also purchased a salt brine maker which allows staff to produce 7,000 litres of salt brine every hour and a half, at half the cost of purchasing it.  Additional snow removal equipment was purchased as well.

Snow removal equipment currently includes: a 1-ton pick-up with plow and sander, a loader with a plow blade, a brine truck with applicator and an underbody for plowing snow, a brine trailer which can be towed by any pickup, and two multi-use sidewalk machines. Additional technology was also added to all snow removal equipment, which improves response times for dispatch and deployment, as well as enhances review and training. The City’s public works staff can also reallocated to the snow removal team as necessary.

The City’s current snow removal program is appropriate for its size, climate, and budget. However, extreme weather events may adversely impact the progress of snow removal.

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