Kelowna's plows prepare for Monday's snowstorm

Photo: File photo

City of Kelowna road crews are preparing for the heavy snowfall coming Monday, and they're asking residents to clear the streets of vehicles in preparation.

Ten to 15 centimetres are forecast to fall across all of the Okanagan Valley, beginning Monday morning. Residents can help with road clearing efforts by making sure their vehicles aren't parked on city roads.

“Residents are asked to be patient as crews make their way through Priority 1 and 2 areas first, before moving into residential roads in neighbourhoods,” said Stephen Bryans, Kelowna roadway operations supervisor.

“We’ll also be working on clearing multi-use pathways for those that use active transportation as well as City-owned sidewalks. Residents and local businesses are encouraged to do their part by shoveling sidewalks and making sure to move vehicles off the road to help plows and sanders move quickly and safely.” 

Priority 1 roads include high-traffic roads like Gordon Drive, while Priority 2 roads include “collector roads” like Richter Street, bus routes, school zones, town centres and those with emergency vehicle stations on them. Lastly, Priority 3 roads include smaller local within neighbourhoods.

Meanwhile, Highway 97 (Harvey Avenue) and Highway 33 are maintained by the Ministry of Transportation's contractor AIM Roads.

A breakdown of what streets are what priority can be found here.

Residents and business owners are responsible for clearing the sidewalks out front of their properties.

“Some residents find snow clearing a difficult task, particularly seniors and those with an injury or disability,” the city said in a release. “The City encourages residents to help their neighbours where possible. If someone helps to clear your sidewalk or driveway, you can nominate them as a Snow Angel and personally thank them with a Snow Angels toque.”