January 16, 2026
The City’s snow clearing operations continue, with crews having completed 43 per cent of residential roadway clearing during the ongoing Phase 2 (residential) parking ban. The parking ban started on January 12 at 7 a.m. and is currently on track for completion by Friday, January 23, by 7 p.m. This timeline is within established service levels for Priority 4 (residential) roadways.
“Our crews continue to make steady progress on residential roadways. Edmonton received a once-in-30 year snow event in December, which concluded with rain and snow two weeks ago and was followed by unseasonably warm temperators,” said Val Dacyk, General Supervisor, Snow and Ice Control Program. “We’re pleased that, despite these challenging conditions, we are currently on track to complete residential roadway clearing on schedule.”
The City appreciates residents’ patience and asks Edmontonians to remain respectful during interactions with staff who are providing front-line service. Doing so will enable them to provide the best service possible.
”The work to clear our roadway and active pathway networks is complex and we thank the hundreds of team members and contractors who have been working long hours since the start of December. When the weather takes a turn, it’s this team that serves as the backbone of the City’s response,” said Dacyk. “We ask Edmontonians to move their vehicles and give workers space to operate so they can provide the best service possible. Our teams are dedicated to this work and, like you, they look forward to seeing it completed.”
Snow clearing operational update
Crews continue to work until the parking ban is paused for the weekend at 7 p.m. on Friday, January 16. The residential parking ban will resume at 7 a.m. on Monday, January 19, for remaining areas.
Positive temperatures this week required operational adjustments to residential roadway clearing, as warm temperatures resulted in a bigger volume of snow to be cleared from roadways. To mitigate windrows as best as possible, neighbourhoods with boulevards and more space to place cleared snow have been scheduled first. In addition, the City used contracted graders instead of truck plows to account for the warmer conditions.
As temperatures drop, clearing conditions will improve, allowing crews to level the snowpack in neighbourhoods where there is minimal space for windrows. For this work, crews will aim to leave a base snowpack of 5 cm in these areas.
Move your car - help your neighbourhood
Parked vehicles remain the most significant obstacle for the City to deliver residential roadway service. If vehicles are not moved, windrows may be placed around them, making moving the vehicles challenging. If too many vehicles remain on residential roads, areas may be rescheduled or skipped in order to maintain service level for all other areas.
The City has enhanced enforcement by deploying additional enforcement officers to address low compliance rates during the current parking ban. In addition, officers have increased patrol hours to cover more residential areas. Residents impacted by a parking ban in their area must move their vehicles to avoid a ticket. Vehicles may also be towed at the owner's expense.
What to expect next week
- Following the weekend parking ban pause, residential snow cleaning will resume Monday, January 19, at 7 a.m. and will continue 24-hours-a-day throughout the week.
Clearing by graders will result in windrows along residential roadways. Initial clearing will also result in windrows among some houses, driveways and crossways. Within four hours of this service, a City skid steer crew will follow to clear 1.5 m width on driveways and crosswalks.
- The City has received reports of private skid steers offering their services for payment. Residents should be aware that City staff or City-hired contractors will not approach residents to offer these services, nor will crews representing the City ever ask for payment to complete snow clearing. Residential roadways are managed by the City of Edmonton and any work on these assets and infrastructure requires permits, review and approval. If damages to City property occur as a result of privately contracted work, individuals hiring the contractors may be held liable.
- Sidewalks may experience additional run-off from adjacent windrows as melting occurs. For locations that are the City’s responsibility, active pathway snow removal will continue to be provided. Other residential sidewalk clearing remains the responsibility of property owners. If, following clearing, a windrow encroaches on sidewalk space by more than 50 cm, City crews can make adjustments following the conclusion of the Phase 2 parking ban. Please submit related inquiries to 311 once the parking ban concludes.
- As crews conduct residential clearing they will address cul-de-sac entrances. Complete cul-de-sac clearing and snow removal will start after the completion of the Phase 2 parking ban.
- School zone clearing and removals will begin the evening of January 23. Work will be done on weekends at all hours and is expected to take 3-4 weeks to complete.
Contacting 311
At this time, 311 is not accepting new requests related to specific residential roadways. Once the residential roadways clearing is completed, 311 will resume accepting and addressing notifications for snow clearing requests in priority order for safety and accessibility. General inquiries and feedback about Snow and Ice Service can continue to be submitted. As with the staff and contractors providing clearing service, 311 staff members are dealing with high volumes.
Scheduling
As clearing progresses, neighbourhoods continue to be scheduled on a daily basis. The City strives to post clearing schedules online three days prior to clearing. Schedules for the final remaining neighbourhoods should be posted no later than the afternoon of January 21. Careful consideration of the weather, temperatures, current rutting, road width and impact of windrows in the surrounding neighbourhoods are all significant factors in how snow clearing operations are planned and scheduled across Edmonton.
- Residents can subscribe to the Service Notifications to receive an email or text notification 24 hours prior to the start of clearing at their location. Notifications are also sent when the location is completed and parking may resume.
- Across Edmonton, more than 1,300 temporary yellow signs are placed at major entrances to neighbourhoods to indicate the parking ban is in effect in that area.
- Signage appears up to 24 hours in advance of work commencing.
- Signage occurs at major entrances. Not every roadway in a neighbourhood may have a sign.
- Once work in the area is completed, signage is removed and parking may resume. Notification will also be sent to residents subscribed to service notifications.
- Residents can view the Roadways Snow Clearing Map to see which roadways are scheduled, where crews are operating and which streets have been completed. The upcoming locations are updated on the map three days prior to the clearing.
- An address tool is available online as part of the Snow Clearing Schedule for residents to see when their location is scheduled for clearing.
The City will continue to inform residents about various aspects of the Snow and Ice Control Program through various channels. More information about city-wide Phase 1 and Phase 2 parking bans is available through this video.
The City will provide additional updates about residential roadway clearing progress next week. 