Accumulations on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, made it the snowiest January day on record and one of the top-ten snowiest days in Calgary. Vicious squalls ended up dumping a whopping 33.6 centimetres of the white stuff at the Calgary airport, trouncing the previous record of 25.4 centimetres from Jan. 3, 1913. That single day of snow came very close to doubling the average monthly snowfall of 17 centimetres for a January in Calgary.
The 33.6 centimetres that fell on Jan. 27 places it seventh on Calgary’s list of snow-day records. The complete top-ten list is:
1. May 6, 1981 – 48.4 centimetres
2. May 17, 1903 – 48.3 centimetres
3. April 21, 1932 – 45.7 centimetres
4. May 2, 1902 – 43.2 centimetres
5. (Tie) May 23, 1911 – 35.6 centimetres, Nov. 13, 1914 – 35.6 centimetres
7. Jan. 27, 2023 – 33 centimetres
8. Oct. 2, 2018 – 32.8 centimetres
9. April 26, 2023 – 32.2 centimetres
10. (Tie) Nov. 19, 1892 – 30.5 centimetres, Nov. 15, 1896 – 30.5 centimetres, April 18, 1955 – 30.5 centimetres
It was very difficult and dangerous to get around last Friday, throughout the weekend, and into the week. Plenty of Calgarians were stuck at home while waiting for their roads to be cleared. It’s wise to be aware of the City of Calgary’s roadway snow-removal policies so that you know the right questions to ask and the correct places to look for information when the “devil’s dandruff” flies.
Recent revisions to Calgary’s snow-removal policy
Good news came for residents of Calgary in the fall when the City promised faster snow clearing on high-priority routes. A Calgary Herald article states, “crews will aim to clear major roads 25 per cent faster than in previous winters.”
The goal in preceding years was to have Priority 1 and 2 routes plowed and cleared within 48 hours of a snowfall. The new target is 36 hours for both.
Priority 1 routes are those such as such as Glenmore Trail, Crowchild Trail and Macleod Trail and busy business routes that typically see more than 8,000 vehicles a day. Also Priority 1 are the downtown cycle tracks, parts of well-used pathways, high-traffic pedestrian overpasses, and sidewalks and public properties such as LRT Stations.
Priority 2 routes include roads that see from 5,000 to 19,999 vehicles pass over them every day, such as Kensington Road and Acadia Drive, plus intersections and crosswalks where there are traffic lights, emergency routes around hospitals and fire stations, bus routes, roads with bike lanes, and trouble spots.
Residential streets in Calgary are not plowed, but rather graded regularly to prevent serious gouges and ruts from making them impassable.
How to locate snow plows in the city
Calgarians can find out where the City of Calgary’s snowplows have been, or will be, to make their drive and parking easier and more safe. Follow along using the City’s road conditions interactive map, which displays progress made for route clearing and the locations of sanders and plows.
In 2021, citizens voted as part of the Name a Snow Plow Contest, and those names continue to be used. Some fun examples are:
- Plowy McPlowface
- Mr. Plow
- Frosty the Snowplow
- Abominable Snow Plow
- Blizzard of Oz
- Bob
- Bonhomme Déneige
- Darth Blader
- Double Trouble Shovel
- Fast & Flurrious
- Marda Scoop
- Melton John
- Plow Patrol
- Princess Sleighia
- Road Zamboni
- Saltbertasaurus Rex
- Sled Zepplin
- Snowbegone Kenobi
- Sweet Child o’ Brine
- The Plowtypus
- Winter Sprinter
- You’re a Blizzard, Harry!
Snow routes in Calgary
Calgarians who live on a snow route, or a road that gets plowed, are sometimes subjected to a snow route parking ban, which requires all vehicles to be removed from the street until it has been cleared. Parking bans can last as long as 72 hours. Affected Calgarians can sign up here to receive alerts from the City about an impending ban in their area.
Commercial snow removal by Mirage
Mirage Landscaping provides commercial snow removal services to businesses that trust our level of service and professionalism. We see ourselves as part of your company, and work to keep your employees and customers safe from slip-and-fall hazards and your property looking neat and tidy. We have a very large fleet of snow-removal equipment, including snowplows, which means we can divide and conquer when Calgary experiences a heavy snowfall. We guarantee to have visited all of our commercial properties well within the allotted 24 hours the City of Calgary allows for snow removal.
Heavy-duty snowplows make up part of our commercial snow-removal equipment. It is our responsibility to ensure your property remains in tip-top condition at all times, and our operators are trained to the highest of standards and always work with safety as top of mind.
We understand the science of snow removal and are proud of the work we do.
Southeast Calgary snow removal by Mirage Landscaping
Residential and commercial snow removal services are our specialty at Mirage Landscaping. We have dozens of who rely on our professionalism and expertise. We look forward to the challenge presented by every snowstorm as we hustle to clear your sidewalks, pathways, driveways, and parking lots as quickly as possible … and as safely as possible.
With over three decades of experience clearing snow in Calgary’s southeast communities, we serve the areas of:
Auburn Bay, Chaparral, Chaparral Valley, Copperfield, Cranston, Douglasdale, Heritage Pointe, Lake Bonavista, Mahogany, McKenzie Lake, Mackenzie Towne, Maple Ridge, New Brighton, Odgen/Lynwood/Millican, Parkland, Riverbend, Sundance, Walden, and Willow Park.