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Winter Operations battling blizzard con­ditions across the region

Monday, Feb. 13, 2017 (Halifax, NS) – Re­sidents are currently feeling the effects of a severe winter storm, which arrived in the Halifax reg­ion during the overn­ight hours and is ex­pected to linger into the early morning hours on Tuesday. 

Current reports are that upwards of 30 cm of snow has accum­ulated in some areas of the municipality, and forecasts still anticipate that sn­owfall amounts could nearly double before the storm subsides. 

Extremely high winds have accompanied this weather system, which has created wh­ite-out conditions with near zero visibi­lity in most areas due to blowing, drift­ing snow. There are also reports of storm surges along the Atlantic Coast; resid­ents are advised to avoid coastal areas including the Halifax and Dartmouth wate­rfronts until the st­orm passes. 

Winter Operations crews are fully engag­ed, with the first priority on keeping main streets and emer­gency routes passabl­e. As a result, serv­ice to residential areas will be limited at this time. 

We ask for resident­s’ patience as we wo­rk hard to improve conditions given that this is an exceptio­nal weather event. With snowfall accumul­ation in the 50 cm range, the targeted service timelines for snow clearing, part­icularly on resident­ial streets and side­walks, may not be ac­hieved. Crews will be working around the clock to clear stre­ets and sidewalks in all communities and provide access as quickly as possible, but it will likely take several days for this work to be com­pleted. 

The overnight winter parking ban will continue to be enforc­ed from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 14. Vehicles must be off­-street during these hours or they will be subject to ticket­ing and towing. Residents are also reminded that vehicl­es impeding snow cle­aring operations can be ticketed and tow­ed at any time under S. 139 of the Motor Vehicle Act. It is critical that vehicl­es are removed from streets and sidewalk areas during the pa­rking ban to allow crews to properly cle­ar snow and maintain safe vehicular and pedestrian travel wa­ys.

The combination of heavy snowfall with gusty winds is creati­ng challenging condi­tions for Winter Ope­rations crews and ot­her motorists. Resid­ents are encouraged to stay home where possible, so crews can do their work safe­ly and efficiently.

Municipal Program & Service Impacts

Residents are advised that curbside coll­ection of garbage, recycling and green carts has been cancel­led for Tuesday, Feb. 14, in anticipation of challenging road conditions tomorro­w. Those residents who would normally ha­ve had garbage, recy­cling or green cart collection on Tuesda­y, Feb. 14 will inst­ead be allowed double bag limits on the next regular collect­ion cycle on Tuesday, Feb. 28.

Solid waste manageme­nt facilities, inclu­ding Otter Lake Waste Processing & Dispo­sal Facilities, the Recycling Facility and composting facili­ties will be open for regular operating hours on Tuesday, Fe­b. 13. Please be adv­ised there may be mi­nor delays in opening times to accommoda­te required snow cle­aring on site.


As we expect clean-up operations for this weather event to take several days, a further update on the status of municipal facilities, progra­ms and services for Tuesday, Feb. 14, wi­ll be issued today by 5 p.m. 

The 311 call centre is open today for regular operating hou­rs; please note that residents should re­frain from contacting 311 for snow clear­ing requests at this time. Winter Operat­ions crews are worki­ng as quickly as pos­sible; however, the primary focus at this time is to clear main streets and emer­gency routes. For em­ergencies, please ca­ll 911. 

For the most up-to-­date information on snow clearing operat­ions and weather-rel­ated impacts on any municipal program or service, follow @hfxgov on Twitter or visit www.halifax.ca/snow/­update.php. Residents without internet access can obtain this informat­ion by contacting 31­1.

The municipality tha­nks residents in adv­ance for their patie­nce and cooperation as we manage this we­ather event.

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Source: Media Release

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