With London in line to receive as much as 20cm of snow by Tuesday morning, the city's fleet of winter maintenance equipment is ready to hit the streets.
The city's 27 salt trucks, which are equipped with front plows and side wings, are the first to be deployed once the snow starts to accumulate on London's 3,625 kilometres of roadway. Following those initial clearing operations, the city's 70 road plows and 41 sidewalk plows are deployed as needed.
"The standards that we follow are the provincial minimum maintenance standards," said John Parsons, division manager of transportation and roadside operations at the city. "On main roads and bus routes, we are anywhere between six to twelve hours to have those cleared. On a residential street, it is 24 hours after the snowfall ends to have those completed."
Environment Canada issued a snowfall warning for the London region Monday as an Alberta Clipper moves across southwestern Ontario bringing heavy snow.
Highways, streets, and parking lots are likely to become difficult to navigate due to the accumulation, and drivers are advised to have patience when encountering city snow removal crews.
"Our salt trucks and road plows move slowly. Give them time to get around the corners and give them the room they need to maneuver in traffic," said Parsons. "We might see some heavy bans of snow during the evening and morning commute and drivers need to be prepared for that. Drive to the road and weather conditions, but also if you see plow and salt trucks out there give them the room they need.
An overnight street parking ban has also been put in place to ensure plows aren't having to clear around vehicles parked on the street throughout the night.
In addition to the 3,625 kilometres of roadway, the city's winter maintenance team is responsible for clearing 1,500 kilometres of sidewalks, 720 cul-de-sacs, and 2,100 bus stops.
A bit of sunshine will return to the region on Tuesday, with the national weather agency forecasting a mix of snow and cloud with only a 30 per cent chance of flurries. Arctic air ushered in by the Alberta Clipper will hang around until Thursday. That has prompted a Cold Weather Alert from the Middlesex London Health Unit.
