City says it is prepared to tackle above average snowfall

Ottawa is outside of the densest patch of snowfall set to bring 30+ cm to the southern GTA and areas along Lake Ontario, but 10-15 cm is still expected to fall between Sunday and Monday.

To date, the City of Ottawa has recorded 143.5 cm of snowfall this season, Martin Habicht, Operations Planning Analyst and Operational Research and Projects in the Public Works Department, told CityNews in an email. While that number is slightly higher than the typical 120-130 cm that has fallen by the end of January on average, he said, what is more notable is the number of snowfall days that have occurred.

Since the beginning of the 2025-26 winter season, there have been 41 days where measurable snowfall was recorded, Habicht said. Over the past 25 winters, only four other seasons have seen 40 or more snowfall days by the end of January. The 30-year average is 32 snowfall days.

In that period, the record is 44 days, but Habicht said with a week remaining in January, this year could top that.

The city has been in clean-up mode all month, but says it is well prepared to respond to the current weather event. That includes having enough salt on hand to make roads and sidewalks as safe as possible.

“City crews remain well‑prepared for the conditions ahead,” Quentin Levesque, Director of Roads & Parking Services, said. “The team is adequately staffed and prepared to respond this weekend and is able to manage the demands of the current winter event.”

Companies in the Toronto area are sounding the alarm about a shortage of road salt, forcing “rationing” as the winter season began.

Rock salt is liquid gold this time of year, but private contractors are finding it hard to come by.

“It’s a tough winter we’re going through right now,” Alex Ferrante with Gateway Landscape group, said previously. “It started early in November, and we just have to use it wisely.”

The shortages have impacted cities like Kitchener, Ont., which advised residents that “challenging” road conditions are expected to continue as winter overwhelms city crews.

As a result, the city has been forced to start using sand on major roadways in the area, and told people that bare pavement may become harder to find.

Cold weather warning remains

A cold weather warning is still in place with windchills dipping as low as -40.

It’s part of a polar vortex that is sweeping across most of Canada.

Environment Canada is warning people to watch for cold-related symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, numbness and colour changes in extremities.

Temperatures will begin to climb a bit with a high of -17 C Sunday and -13 C on Monday.