Plow tracker
To see City and contractor plows work together to clear roads
Following a major snowfall, the City of Guelph works hard in the first 48 hours to clear snow from city streets and sidewalks. The City uses the minimum maintenance standards set out by the Province to identify primary, secondary and residential roads to decide what gets plowed and when.
Primary roads
Primary roads are major roads such as Edinburgh Road or Speedvale Avenue that move some of the heaviest traffic in our city. Primary roads are plowed after 2.5 centimetres of snowfall within six hours after the end of a snow storm.
Secondary roads
Secondary roads include school zones, bus routes and streets that connect primary roads with one another. These roads include Paisley Street or Dawson Road. Secondary roads get plowed and salted/sanded after 2.5 centimetres of snowfall within 24 hours after snow stops falling.
Residential roads
The City services residential roads with sand and salt to increase traction while driving. They are serviced after 8 centimetres of snowfall and are completed 48 hours after a major snowfall.
Street parking
Following an extreme snow fall, the City conducts plow outs to remove snow from all streets. To help staff clear City streets quickly and safely, we ask that drivers avoid parking on the street for at least 48 hours after a snowfall. This allows for our plows to widen streets as much as possible and to better accommodate driving, parking and cyclists during the winter.
Freezing rain
In the event of freezing rain warnings, the operations department treats roads with both sand and salt solutions. Much like plow outs, roads are treated in priority sequence as listed below.
Report an issue with provincial or county roads
Hanlon Parkway/Highway 6 North
For concerns with road conditions on the Hanlon Parkway/Highway 6 North, please call Ministry of Transportation (MTO) INFO at 416-235-4686 or toll free at toll-free at 1-800-268-4686. (TTY: 905-704-2426 or 1-866-471-8929).
Wellington County
For concerns with road conditions on roads in Wellington County and outside of the city of Guelph boundaries please contact the Wellington County Roads Division at 519-837-2601 or 1-800-663-0750.
The City of Guelph engages in winter maintenance of roads to provide safe travel throughout the city. These services include snow clearing and the spreading of salt or sand. In order to keep our city as safe as possible, streets are prioritized using criteria laid out in the Ontario Regulation 230/02 Minimum Maintenance Standards.