A major winter storm is on the horizon and non-essential travel during this time should be avoided. Anyone who must travel during this event is asked to plan ahead and to give themselves extra travel time.
Environment Canada has issued a Winter Storm Warning, and effective immediately, the City of Ottawa is declaring a Significant Weather Event that will remain in effect until further notice.
❄️ Significant Weather Event
A Significant Weather Event (SWE) is declared when Environment Canada issues a Weather Hazard when weather that is either occurring or approaching has the potential to pose significant danger to users of Ottawa’s transportation network.
The intent of declaring a SWE is to notify the public that because of the forecast and/or current weather conditions, it will take longer than usual to restore the transportation network to expected conditions and that caution is to be exercised when using sidewalks, roads, and the winter cycling network.
For more information about the Significant Weather Events program, please visit Ottawa.ca.
❄️ Forecast and Conditions
Snow is expected to start this evening and intensify overnight with the heaviest snow expected to fall Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Peak snowfall rates are expected to exceed 5 centimetres per hour with30 to 40 centimetres forecasted before gradually tapering off on Thursday afternoon. Winds will be up to 30 kilometres per hour, gusting to 50, causing blowing and drifting snow in open areas.
Travel should be avoided as rapidly accumulating snow will make conditions on the transportation network difficult to navigate and road closures are possible.
❄️ City Response
The Roads and Parking Services team is ready! Once accumulation begins, all resources will be deployed and crews will focus on treating and clearing sidewalks, priority roads, bus routes, the Transitway and the winter cycling network. Our Parks Maintenance partners will also be out in full force, clearing City facility parking lots (with a priority on Fire and Paramedic stations) as well as lots serving recreation centres.
By declaring a Significant Weather Event, we know that we will not be meeting our winter maintenance timeline objectives, and snow clearing and treating operations will take longer than usual. Accumulation on our network will be heavy and wet and our sidewalks, roads and the winter cycling network will be covered with snow. This is not your typical storm, and we anticipate that multiple passes will be required to clear and treat these conditions.Given the amount of snow expected, some residents may find it challenging to get out of their communities until crews have been able to clear the residential sidewalks and streets.
Some areas of the region will experience significant blowing and drifting snow, which makes it difficult for operators to navigate. Please be patient, as it will take time to get through the transportation network, but rest assured, they will be hard at work.
❄️ Resident Support is Needed
Safety is a priority for our team, and we will be out in full force working to keep Ottawa’s sidewalks, roads and the winter cycling network treated and clear. Conditions will be hazardous and non-essential travel should be avoided. For those who must travel, please give yourself extra time and adjust to the conditions of the transportation network.
Flashing blue lights means we are hard at work. If you see a sidewalk plow approaching, please step aside into an open driveway. Always remember to stay at least 3 car lengths behind our vehicles – please never pass our vehicles.
There is no need to create a service request for routine snow clearing. We are on the job and our efforts are currently needed out in the community; service requests should only be created for emergencies.
Please place garbage, recycling, and organic collection bins in your driveway and not on the road or sidewalks. Residents can sign up to receive reminders and service alerts for their waste collection day by email or phone call at ottawa.ca/CollectionCalendar or can download the Ottawa Collection Calendar mobile app for Apple and Android devices to confirm their collection day
During the period of time when the winter weather parking ban is not in effect, you can support our operations by finding off-street parking options. If you can, please ask a friend or neighbour to share their laneway.When vehicles are removed from our streets, the Roads and Parking Services team can clear snow efficiently to create a wide-open roadway.
Are you ready? To help ensure your safety and the safety of your family, now is a good time prepare your emergency kit.
There will be two daytime back-to-back Winter Weather Parking Bans called during the following times:
🚗 10 am to 7 pm on Thursday, February 13
🚗 10 am to 7 pm on Friday, February 14
These two back-to-back winter weather parking bans are essential for the support of our operations. Should the forecast shift and underperform, the second ban may be called off.
During this time, all vehicles must be removed from the roadway – unless you have an eligible parking permit or are accessing parking in our exempted commercial main streets. Though eligible parking permit holders are exempt, we encourage those who can, please try to find alternate parking during this time to prevent your vehicle from being snowed in.
The City of Ottawa has several parking lots available for residents to park during a parking ban. Vehicles may remain parked at these sites for the duration of the ban and must be removed after the City announces that the ban has been lifted. Information on all parking options during a winter weather parking ban is available on Ottawa.ca/winterparking.
Residents can stay in the know about our winter weather parking bans by signing up for e-alerts at Ottawa.ca, or by downloading the City of Ottawa app.
OC Transpo is implementing a Severe Storm Schedule for buses beginning Thursday, February 13, due to the current severe winter storm forecast for Ottawa. The Severe Storm Schedule does not apply to O-Train service, which will run on a normal schedule.
A Severe Storm Schedule for buses is implemented on weekdays when 31 centimetres or more of snow is predicted to fall or under other severe weather conditions. There is a significant weather event that is forecasted to result in snow accumulations of up to 40 centimetres. Due to these severe conditions, a Severe Storm Schedule is being implemented.
What this means for our customers starting on Thursday, February 13:
Bus service will follow a reduced schedule in order to provide safer and more reliable service during the winter storm and to allow the entire network to recover more quickly.
Most routes in the network will be affected by these schedule adjustments. Many routes will have reduced frequencies and modified trip times, and select routes will not run.
Customers are strongly encouraged to use the Travel Planner, double-check their route before they travel and expect delays.
Many articulated buses will be replaced with 40-foot and double-decker buses to improve service reliability.
O-Train and Para Transpo service levels will not be reduced, but customers should still plan ahead, expect delays and exercise increased caution when boarding and exiting vehicles and at bus stops and station platforms.
OC Transpo is informing customers of bus schedule changes due to severe weather through regular updates on all customer communication channels, including octranspo.com, the 560560 text service, a public service announcement, social media posts and signage at bus stops. Customers can also use OC Transpo’s Travel Planner to see how their trip will change while the Severe Storm Schedule is in effect.
Further information about our Severe Storm Schedule is found on octranspo.com.
We anticipate regular service will resume on Friday morning, February 14.
The City of Ottawa would like to remind residents of the following schedule changes and City service impacts for the Family Day holiday on Monday, February 17.
Client Service Centres
The City’s 3-1-1 Contact Centre will be open for urgent matters only. Please visit ottawa.ca/311 for more information.
ServiceOttawa’s Client Services and Provincial Offences counters and phone lines will be closed. Counters are located at Ottawa City Hall (110 Laurier Avenue West), Ben Franklin Place (101 Centrepointe Drive), Orléans (255 Centrum Boulevard) and the City’s Provincial Offences Court at 100 Constellation Drive.
The Business Licensing Centre at 735 Industrial Avenue will be closed.
The City of Ottawa Spay and Neuter Clinic at 26 Concourse Gate will be closed.
The City of Ottawa Archives and Gallery 112 at the James Bartleman Centre will be closed from Saturday, February 15 to Monday, February 17.
The Barbara Ann Scott Gallery, the Karsh-Masson Gallery, and the City Hall Art Gallery will be closed on Monday, February 17.
Green bin, recycling and garbage collection
There will be no curbside green bin, recycling, garbage or bulky item collection on Monday, February 17. Pick up will take place on Tuesday, February 18. In addition, the collection will be delayed by one day for the remainder of the week.
Residents can sign up to receive collection reminders and service alerts by email or phone call at ottawa.ca/CollectionCalendar.
Multi-residential garbage containers will be collected on the regular scheduled day. Collections of multi-residential recycling containers, bulky items and green bins will be delayed by one day for the remainder of the week.
OC Transpo service buses and O-Train Lines 1, 2 and 4 will run on a normal weekday schedule.
O-Train Line 1 will run from 5 am to 11 pm. O-Train Line 2 and 4 will run from 6 am to midnight.
Rural Shopper Route 301 will not run.
Going to Winterlude on Family Day? Ride the Sno-Bus for free to several official Winterlude sites across Ottawa and Gatineau. Visit octranspo.com for more information.
The Rideau Centre OC Transpo Customer Service Centre will be open on Monday, February 17 from 9:30 am to 6 pm.
The OC Transpo Lost and Found at St-Laurent Station will be open from 8:30 am to 4 pm. Customers can submit an inquiry about a lost item at octranspo.com/lostandfound.
On Family Day and every Saturday, Sunday and statutory holiday, take advantage of the 2-for-1 DayPass, where two customers 10 years of age or older can ride all day for $12.00. Purchase the 2-for-1 DayPass at any ticket machine or from your bus operator. Kids 10 and under can ride for free every day on OC Transpo buses, the O-Train and Para Transpo.
Use the Travel Planner or Transit, the recommended app for OC Transpo customers, to plan your trip.
Para Transpo:
Regular bookings or recurring trips for Monday, February 17 are automatically cancelled. Customers can book trips for Family Day starting February 7 by calling 613-560-5000 or using My Para Transpo.
Para Transpo customers can also text 57272 to connect with customer service representatives from 6 am to 12:30 am for cancellations or information. Standard rates apply.
The reservations line will be open from 7 am to 5 pm.
The trip cancellation line will be open from 6 am to 12:30 am.
The Taxi Coupon line will remain open.
For more information on Family Day service, visit octranspo.com or call (613) 560-5000. You can also connect with OC Transpo through Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.
Recreation and cultural services
Many community centres and recreation facilities will have altered hours and changes to drop-in schedules. Please check the facility pages on ottawa.ca for details.
City-operated museums, Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe, and Shenkman Arts Centre will be closed on Monday.
Ottawa Public Health
The Site program office and supervised consumption services at 179 Clarence Street will be closed. The Site mobile van will operate from 5 pm to 11:30 pm.
Visit the ParentingInOttawa web page for vaccination clinic hours and availability.
Connect with a registered nurse from Health811 for free, secure, and confidential health advice. Service is available in English and French, with translation support also offered in other languages.
All branches of Ottawa Public Library (including Bookmobile, Homebound services and InfoService) will be closed on Monday, February 17. Digital content, services, and program listings are available through the Ottawa Public Library website. Virtual programs are available on OPL’s YouTube channel. Regular hours resume on Tuesday, February 18.
