Bring on the snow! Mississauga is ready for winter

The City of Mississauga’s winter maintenance program helps keep the city safe and accessible for everyone travelling during the winter.

Mayor Parrish joins Councillor Tedjo, Councillor Horneck, Councillor Hart, Councillor Kovac and Works Operations and Maintenance staff for the launch of Mississauga’s winter maintenance season.

What the City clears

The City is responsible for clearing snow and ice on City-owned infrastructure, including roads, on-street bike lanes, priority sidewalks, bus stops, pedestrian crossings and roadside multi-use trails.

City staff also provide winter maintenance at City facilities including community centres, libraries and select park parking lots, paved pathways and trails. Peel Region is responsible for clearing most regional roads in Mississauga, which are main roads with higher speeds and more traffic than local residential roads.

City service levels

The City plows snow when five centimeters or more accumulates. If there is less than five centimetres of snow, infrastructure is salted.

The City’s snow-clearing operations follow a priority route system – priority infrastructure is cleared first. This includes:

• Priority roads: routes for emergency vehicles, transit and high traffic volume.
• Priority sidewalks: sidewalks located along major roads and bus routes and outside of schools, hospitals and long-term care homes.
• Bus stops, roadside multi-use trails, pedestrian crossings and on-street bike lanes.
• Parking lots and entrances connected to community centres, arenas and libraries.

Depending on how much it snows, it can take 12 to 24 hours to clear this priority infrastructure after the snow has stopped.

City crews then move on to clearing residential roads, park trails and pathways that serve as transportation links for local communities (e.g. walkways, easements to schools). This infrastructure is cleared within 24 to 36 hours after the snow has stopped. It may take longer if the city has back-to-back storms, or if there’s a winter storm that brings more than 30 centimeters of snow.

Residential roads are not cleared to bare pavement but are cleared to be safe and passable for vehicles. Some snowpack may be left on the road.

Residents can track the progress of the City’s plows and sidewalk-clearing equipment using the online plow tracker.

On-street parking during winter weather

When it snows, vehicles parked on the road can prevent crews from being able to safely and efficiently salt and clear roads. Please remove parked vehicles from residential streets when it snows to avoid a parking ticket or towing. During snow clearing operations, temporary parking permits will not be issued and current ones will be suspended.

Prioritizing safety and effective salt management

The City prioritizes effective salt management practices that maintain safety while minimizing the effect of salt on the environment. This includes pre-treating some priority roads and parking lots (i.e. community centres and arenas) with brine before oncoming winter weather, plowing more often and using the right amount of salt at the right place and the right time.

Stay updated

• Visit mississauga.ca/snow to learn more about snow clearing in the city.
• Use the online snow plow tracker to view a map of the City’s snow-clearing routes and track the City’s fleet as it clears streets and sidewalks.
• Follow @MississaugaSnow on X for timely snow-clearing updates.
• Find out if on-street parking restrictions are in effect and if temporary parking permits are suspended due to a weather event.
• Call 311 (905-615-4311 if outside city limits) for questions related to the City’s snow-clearing operations or to report a missed street after service timelines have ended.
• Follow @PeelPublicWorks on X for snow-clearing updates on regional roads.

Quotes

“When we get our first big snowfall, remember that we’re all part of one community. Let’s make an effort to lend a helping hand to support our hardworking crews. The critical work they do helps keep us safe and allows us to get on with our day – because we know life doesn’t stop when it snows. Remember to be alert and patient on our roads, give crews and equipment lots of space to work, and please treat our crews, and each other, with respect.” – Mayor Carolyn Parrish, City of Mississauga

“Winter weather will be here before we know it and the City has a comprehensive winter maintenance program in place to get the job done safely and efficiently. The City’s snow-clearing program prioritizes accessible travel for everyone, whether you travel by vehicle, transit, bike, foot or mobility device. In order for us to safely and efficiently clear and treat the roads, we’d like to remind residents to please remove their vehicles from their residential streets when we’re plowing. Parked cars create a real obstacle for our plows and can prevent us from being able to properly salt and clear roads for emergency vehicles, transit and residents. We appreciate your support and patience during this snow-clearing season.” – Helen Noehammer, Director, Works Operations and Maintenance

Tags

• Snow Removal and Maintenance