The Town of Barrhead is rolling out temporary emergency snow-clearing measures following unprecedented amounts of snowfall.
In place of the normal route-by-route sequence, crews are performing two passes down every street to create basic access for all neighbourhoods. Workers are prioritizing quickly opening roadways for emergency vehicles and resident travel, and more thorough clearing will occur later.
Local contractors have also been recruited to help the situation, as available.
The following temporary measures are in effect:
- Minimal windrows: Officials say operators are not leaving large windrows across driveway entrances. By skimming and pushing or blowing snow in two passes, the goal is to avoid blocking driveways so vehicles can get in and out of properties.
- Parking: The town will not be posting “No Parking” signs for this initial pass-through. Vehicles parked on streets will not be ticketed during this phase. If possible, residents are still encouraged to park off-street to help crews, but it is not mandatory during the emergency clearing – find clearing maps here.
- Expected road conditions: Warmer daytime temperatures may cause the packed snow on roads to soften into slush. Vehicles driving through this soft snow could create ruts or uneven surfaces, so motorists are asked to drive cautiously.
- Timeline: Barring further emergencies, inclement weather, or equipment failures, the two-pass emergency clearing of all streets is expected to be completed by Jan. 7, at which point crews will return to follow the regular neighbourhood sequence with full clearing, and usual parking restrictions, where applicable.
The town says December’s snowfall was more than four times the typical monthly average, with precipitation reaching 416 per cent above the 30-year average for the region.
Regular snow clearing was scheduled for Dec. 22; however, an unexpected water main break that same day required public works crews to postpone snow-clearing duties to assist with water repairs. Officials say the effect of this delay was then compounded by continuous snowfall events over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
