Vancouver steps up its snow management

Metro Vancouver woke up Sunday morning to snow and sunshine, with many Vancouverites out enjoying the weather.

To prevent a winter storm fallout, the City of Vancouver treated major routes ahead of the snowfall. Amy Sidwell, manager of the city’s street operations, says crews have been actively doing pre-treatments.

“Then once the snow starts to fall, their plow is down. And so they’re really getting that snow out of the way as quickly as possible.”

But even with major routes cleared for cars, some roads are still covered which can make driving a challenge for some.

“The main roads we don’t do are residential side streets. And so there are some residential streets that we do if they’re adjacent to a school or a hospital or there are some significant hills on residential streets that we do treatments on those,” she said.

City of Vancouver’s street operations manager Amy Sidwell says residential side streets aren’t usually included in snow clearing operations. (Angela Bower/CityNews)

Sidwell also reminds people to clear the snow and ice from their sidewalks as soon as possible. She says doing so will help prevent the snow from turning into ice.

Christine Mainer from Young Drivers of Canada has some tips to keep everyone safe behind the wheel. She says drivers should always give themselves extra travel time when driving on snow.

“In our climate here in Vancouver, we generally have a lot of wet snow. And when it gets compacted, especially on the side roads, it becomes ice. So definitely if the temperatures drop tonight, they can definitely go to icy conditions,” Mainer said.

Related: B.C. hit with heavy snowfall over the weekend

Drivers should take it slow, but if they hit a patch of ice and can’t brake, Mainer says to look for a place where you’re able to maneuver the car toward the snow. She said the snow will give better traction.

“It’ll go toward the median or toward the curb than to have to go through a busy intersection.”

The group says it’s important to make sure your entire car is cleared of snow, including head and tail lights. Mainer emphasized the importance of clearing the roof because if you brake hard, the snow could slide into the windshield and cause visibility issues.

(Angela Bower/ CityNews)

Beyond the snow and ice, flooding may also be a concern in Vancouver for this week thanks to the changing temperatures.

“With the sun angle and daytime temperatures above freezing, we could get some water pooling on the streets if drains aren’t clear. So we got to make sure we clean out those drains so that there’s a path for the water to go. Otherwise, urban flooding could be possible,” Environment Canada’s Bobby Sekhon said.

Sekhon warns the following days’ cycle of above-freezing daytime temperatures and below-freezing nighttime temperatures could also cause slippery conditions.

If drivers do see water accumulating on the streets, Young Drivers of Canada cautions to avoid driving in puddles if possible

“You don’t know how deep that puddle could be so you have to be very careful and make sure that you avoid them when you can.”