The City of Burlington provides snow clearing throughout the winter to keep our roads and sidewalks safe and passable for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.
View the road plowing priority map below to see which roads are designated as primary, secondary and residential roads.
- Primary Roads - Red
- Secondary Roads - Green
- Residential Roads - Blue
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Road and Condition |
Plowed |
Sanded |
Salted |
Brine |
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Primary Roads, when a winter storm is coming. |
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Brine |
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Primary and secondary roads with snowfall between 1-4 cm. |
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Sanded** |
Salted |
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Primary and secondary roads with more than 5 cm of snowfall. |
Plowed |
Sanded** |
Salted |
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Residential roads, with less than 7.5 cm of snow. |
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Residential roads, with more than 7.5 cm of snow. |
Plowed |
Sanded |
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Sidewalks, multiuse pathways and transit stops with less than 5 cm of snow. |
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Sidewalks, multiuse pathways and transit stops with more than 5 cm of snow. *Only done after all the roads are cleared which can be up to 72 hours after snowfall has ended. |
Plowed* |
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**Sand may be used as an alternative to salt
Salt is used primarily when the temperature is above -10 C. Below -10 degrees C the salt is mixed with an additive in order to allow salt to remain effective.
| Weather and Road Condition Monitoring |
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Throughout the winter season, trained staff monitor detailed local weather forecasts and road conditions in order to prepare for and respond to any type of winter event. Crews are available 24/7 to provide timely and efficient winter maintenance. |
| Clearing Snow from Roads |
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As snow begins to accumulate, snowplows begin to clear roads in priority order based on road classification. primary and secondary roads are plowed when snow accumulation reaches 5 cm (2 inches). Local residential roads are plowed when snow accumulation reaches 7.5 cm (3 inches) and when primary and secondary roads have been completed. Depending on weather conditions, it may be necessary for equipment to return to primary roads to keep them clear of snow. The City of Burlington aims to have all roads in the city plowed within 24 hours after the snow has stopped falling. |
| Clearing Snow from Sidewalks |
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Sidewalk clearing begins when snow accumulation reaches 5 cm (2 inches). Similar to roadways, sidewalks are cleared beginning with primary sidewalks and then secondary and local sidewalks. The city aims to have sidewalks cleared within 24 hours after the end of snowfall when accumulation is 12.5 cm (5 inches) or less. For snow accumulation between 12.5 cm (5 inches) and 30 cm (12 inches), the city aims to have primary sidewalks cleared within 18 hours, secondary sidewalks cleared within 36 hours and local sidewalks cleared within 72 hours. When snow accumulation exceeds 30 cm (12 inches), sidewalks will be cleared as soon as possible. |
| Anti-Icing |
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Prior to a winter storm, a mixture of salt and water (brine) is applied to roadways to reduce the snow and ice from building up and sticking to the road, making roads easier to plow and reducing the overall amount of salt used. Brine is typically applied to roadways from several days to several hours before the start of a winter storm, as weather conditions allow. |
| Salting |
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Salt is an effective material for controlling snow and ice and is applied to roads and sidewalks when conditions have resulted in moisture freezing on the surface. |
| Sanding |
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Sand is an abrasive material applied to the roadway to increase traction during slippery conditions. In Burlington, sand is primarily used on local roads, rural roads, sidewalks and during extremely low temperatures when salt is less effective. |