Montreal will focus on clearing snow, not removing it, until snowfall stops

As snow continues to pile on Montreal's streets, the city has decided to pause its snow removal operation from last Friday's storm.

In the meantime, crews will focus on plowing the streets to keep up with the snowfall that's currently pummeling the city.

"During the next coming hours, we will plow the snow, we will push the snow aside, we will add salt," said city spokesperson Philippe Sabourin. "We'll make sure [it will be easier] for everyone tomorrow morning to navigate in town."

MONTREAL-AREA SNOW REMOVAL LINKS

     

When it comes to dealing with snow in Montreal, there are two main phases: snow clearing and snow removal.

Snow clearing is self-explanatory: crews plow the snow and slush off the roads to make them drivable.

Snow removal is a bit more involved. Large trucks are loaded with snow that has been pushed to the sides of the roads, hauling it away and dumping it in designated areas.

Sabourin said the snow from last week has already been removed along the city's major arteries.

The city was about to extend its removal operation to residential areas on Sunday morning when the decision was made to redirect crews to plowing.

Snow is forecasted to continue falling into Sunday evening. Sabourin said removal operations are expected to resume overnight but may vary from borough to borough.

According to Environment Canada, snowfall in the Montreal area will resume around noon on Monday.

Here are the values observed so far. Note that the snow is still in progress and that you can check your forecast here: https://t.co/vCAmHVSQEJ #QCstorm pic.twitter.com/EuAGq8A6Zl

— ECCC Weather Quebec (@ECCCWeatherQC) January 29, 2023