Snow Plowing

Westwood Hills has three different classifications of roads, each with its own parameters of priority for snow removal as set out by HRM service standards.

Priority one streets (red)

• Main arterials
• Major bus routes
• Roads with steep inclines
• Emergency routes to hospitals and schools and public buildings

Goal: To have a plow or salt truck pass through these areas at a minimum of once every three hours and have them clear of snow and ice within 12 hours of the end of a weather event.

Priority two streets (amber)

• Residential and rural routes with medium to low volume traffic
• Gravel roads
• Private lanes that fall under the municipality’s responsibility

Goal: To start cut-throughs on these streets once accumulations have reached 10cm, and repeated a minimum of every eight hours during extended periods of snow. This allows initial access for emergency vehicles and residents needing to get out of their homes. Crews will return to finish clearing Priority 2 streets to a snow-widened and passable state within 24 hours of the end of a weather event.

Note: In snowfalls greater than 30 centimetres, or in blizzard conditions, more time is needed to complete clearing. The same exception may apply when there are rapidly changing weather conditions, such as snow occurring after rain, wet snow packed to ice and freezing rain. Crews will continue working until all streets and sidewalks are clear and safe.

Before contacting 311 to report snow and ice clearing issues, please check the service timelines for streets and sidewalks to confirm when clearing should be completed. If clearing efforts are still within the timelines, residents should not contact 311 as the agent will be unable to dispatch any crew. Please wait until the service timeline has expired before contacting 311. This will ensure those trying to contact 311 with urgent issues are able to reach an agent.

Private lanes (purple dotted line)

Private lanes within Westwood Hills are not serviced by the Municipality or the Province. They are entirely the responsibility of the residents who own the land they cross.

Winter overnight parking ban

From December 15 to March 31, there is no overnight parking on any streets within HRM. Parking your car on the side of the road during the day in winter months impedes snow plowing operations. Please make sure your vehicle is fully visible and not covered in snow. Do not block driveways, do not park close to intersections, and take into consideration that icy road conditions can easily cause vehicles to skid.

Full details: halifax.ca parking ban information